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About Howl #1
Writer: Alissa Kwitney
Artist: Mauricet
Colorist: Mauricet
Letterer: Rob Steen
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
Release date: January 15th, 2025
Logline:
Marry a science fiction writer, become science fiction! That's the law of Greenwich Village in the late 1950s, home of poets, artists, musicians, writers, their put-upon partners-and the extraterrestrial spores that are secretly taking them over! Novelist/comics writer Alisa Kwitney (The Sandman Presents) mixes science fiction with family memoir, featuring stunning art by Mauricet (Star Wars Adventures).
Howl #1 Review
Howl dives into a post-World War II world where CIS-white idealism and conspiracy theory melodrama collide in the first issue of this slow-burn science fiction comic book.
Beginning where an alien presence is subtly felt from the first page when a UFO begins to spray some bizarre red human pesticide on a neighbourhood of beatniks. Willfully ignorant, passers by shake the dust off their clothes and continue on about their day as two women, who’ll later be introduced to us as Frida and Ziva, hurry through the street to get to college. Leading to a scene where Marlon, who’s with his psychiatrist, is also sprayed with a similar red dust via an alien-looking plant. Leading us to believe this shrink is not to be trusted.
We are then reintroduced to Ziva, now out of college, showing her mother through her apartment. Here, writer Alisa Kwitney gives a quick detour, into the generational and cultural differences on display, before winding back onto the origin story of Ziva and Bert meeting, falling for each other and moving in together. Although, the toxic elements of Bert’s quickly become apparent. From his fragile ego on steroids to wanting to stay casual with Ziva - and only lockdown their relationship when there’s the threat of her meeting another man. It’s during this scene where Ziva is narrating how she shouldn’t be surprised about Bert’s highly emotive state when he wrote a story about a man falling in love with a Martian woman who turns out to be a monster. Kwitney’s commentary on the blame men have projected onto women for things having not gone their way, perhaps? Regardless of the root cause or reason, I’m a sucker for a story within a story.
What follows is an off and on again relationship. When things don’t go Bert’s way he disappears for weeks at a time and returns, having worked out his temper tantrum. And it’s here that you can’t help but feel sorry for Ziva who’s putting her life on hold for the psychotically emotional meanderings of a fragile co-dependent human who can only write well when she’s around or have her around when she’s agreeing with him. Toxic for certain. But the word asshole, also comes to mind.
There’s a feeling their relationship is beginning to unravel. Despite this, they soldier on and attend a party with friends where and during a debate about what makes good writing. Bert looks to leave the party without Ziva when his writing is called into question and all but written off by his friend, Manny, who had no issues grabbing Ziva’s arse moments earlier. It’s by sheer chance that Marlon turns up just as Bert is leaving and whisks him away to be seen by his shrink. The same psychiatrist who’d been exposed to that alien chemical on the first page and who exposed Marlon to the pollen from alien plants. And there’s so much left to unpack here. The increasing severity of Bert’s ego on a downward spiral, Marlon sexually assaulting Ziva in plain view of Frida which comments on the inequality of a 1950s America, Marlon’s numbness and his newly found devoid personality, and the enigmatic psychiatrist who will see any patient at any time of the day. Leading rise to the belief that if, by now, you think something fishy is going on then you’ve hit the nail on the head.
Mauricet’s playing with colours gives off a creepy innuendo filled with alien conspiracy. Much in the same way as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (both of them), Starman or even The Thing. Which works to great effect as Kwitney has gone on record saying these are huge influences.
Before we get to the final scene of this comic book, I wanted to tackle this “bridge” to “coda”, in a conversation between Ziva and Frida. While simple and a little bit cute as they vent to each other the problems with their respective partners, it also features an African American family in the background. Illustrating a clear racial divide of the time.
Howl #1 ends with Bert returning to Ziva, numb and devoid of personality, much like Marlon from earlier in the issue. They head to bed but he awakes earlier, only to leave their apartment, eyes glowing red, indicating that whatever this threat - it has Bert fully within its grasp.
This comic book issue drives deep into the conservative psyche of a 1950s America wanting to become more progressive but never being afforded the luxury. With elements of emerging feminism struggling to co-exist with the incompetent male complex as the alien conspiracy begins to threat. Here’s a book that could be analysed for decades to come but for now I have my rating.
Score: 10/10.