Review by Ian Keogh
The massive acreage of Briggs Land was once remote and isolated, but over the late 20th century broader civilisation moved ever nearer, and whispers began to emerge of what was once secret. As seen in State of Grace, Grace Briggs has wrested control of the family, the criminal business and the land from her long jailed husband, but as Lone Wolves opens all sorts of federal agencies and TV crews have taken an interest in the place. Brian Wood then dials back to explain why.
Ir begins with an accident followed by a wrong impression, then a misjudgement followed by an abduction. Then it escalates. There’s a natural flow to events, and Wood ensures both sympathy and tension for the fate of innocents. It’s already been well established how far some family members will follow their ideas of protection, and while the well meaning Grace has overall authority and loyalty, she can’t oversee every little detail.
Artist Mack Chater can, and does, his work on Lone Wolves every bit as expansive and personality rich as it was in the first volume. He’s not the only artist here, but he’s the best for having defined the cast and their priorities.
With the first half of Lone Wolves presenting the title story, Wood then supplies two further tales looking at aspects of life in a vast family-run community. What happens when a teenage girl disagrees with her father’s principles, or when the authorities decide to cut off utilities? Along the way there’s a little back story concerning how Jim Briggs ended up in jail without ever explaining the ideological priorities, which is frustrating, and showing he still has influence. Vanessa R. Del Ray and Wether Dell’Edera are responsible for the art, both with a sketchier style than Chater, but both good once working through a little confusion in Del Ray’s stint regarding who people are.
This is a second dose of top drama, the only downside being that there’s been nothing further since 2018 while Wood and Chater have since collaborated on Sword Daughter. All that time passed indicates there will be no more Briggs Land, but it’s worth cherishing what we have.
