Review by Karl Verhoven

The Well brings Moonshine’s dark period horror to a very satisfying conclusion. There have been plenty of ups and a few downs, but one certainty is that you won’t take anything other than admiration for Eduardo Risso’s art for starting the series here. Brian Azzarello structures Moonshine as a novel, and who starts reading a novel with chapter 23 and expects it to make sense?

The broad details are that in prohibition era USA haunted gangster Lou Pirlo has discovered the alcoholic equivalent of gold dust deep in redneck territory. However, the protections are far more than the usual thugs with guns, and Pirlo never anticipated being turned into a werewolf. That, though, propels him into a position of greater power, and he’s one of three parties involved in a brewing war. As well as an action thriller, Moonshine doubles as tragic romance.

As noted in reviewing The Angel’s Share, Azzarello pays a lot of attention to the little details of his writing. Once again the dialogue combines with the art to offer clever segues, and Azzarello has honed the art of compacting it exquisitely. “You are corrupt” says the FBI agent to the chief of police. “Pardon me?” replies the cop. “Sure, if you flip on NYPD’. So clever, and so much undertone packed into ten words. There are plenty of other examples. “I kneaded her. She needed me” accompanies a sex scene, and don’t just skim the song lyrics.

You have to look closely to appreciate what Azzarello does, but Risso’s artistic dominance is immediately obvious. There are no scenes set during Pirlo’s youth, so Risso’s back to his usual stark black and white contrasts with bright colours directing the eye on portraits. There’s always something to admire in the background of Risso’s panels, with either elegantly designed scenery or a cast of background characters going about their business, and just look at the werewolf on the sample art.

We may be guided toward taking a sympathetic view of Pirlo, but despite the veneer of intelligence he’s no more redeemable than anyone else in the cast, noting “I knew I was a monster before she cursed me”. Azzarello’s not dealing with innocents, so there’s not much hope of anyone getting out alive? Or is there?

Moonshine has been a steamy, unpredictable thriller dripping with atmosphere from the start, and that doesn’t change here. Great. If money is no issue the hardcover Complete Collection is recommended.