Review by Frank Plowright

Lauren Greene served with the Detroit police, but watching her colleagues beat up innocent protesters changed her mind about her chosen career. We pick up with her after her final shift and wondering how she’s going to pay the rent and break the news to her mother. She has far larger worries in her future, but Von Allan doesn’t bother with them immediately, very nuanced in concealing what’s happening.

Before the revelation we learn Lauren’s mother isn’t keeping in the best of health. She has heart problems, and she’s developed breathing problems since a recent fire at the company employing her as a cleaner. Allan establishes a caring relationship between mother and daughter, and similar attention to detail is applied to the remainder of the cast, be they people we’re supposed to like, or plain wrong’uns. Lauren herself is exceptionally well characterised as someone brought up to look out for others, and who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’ll do the right thing no matter the possible danger or the personal cost, although may be grumpy about it.

Given what happens over the entire opening chapter (of two) the assumption is we’re going to read about a detective watching out for her neighbourhood, but Allan has something else in mind. There’s significance to some moments slipped in as other things are happening, and when the maguffin is revealed it remains understated as Lauren continues with her life. That life is realistically portrayed, with the problems Lauren has easily understood and generating sympathy, yet Allan’s also able to play her frustrations into comedy moments.

Some artistic wrinkles need to be worked out, but like his lead character, Allan never takes the easy route of telling his story via head and shoulders drawings without backgrounds. Full figures are the choice, and plenty of them packed into small panels. The cast are distinctively drawn to be easily identifiable, and they’re well embedded into the locations, although Detroit’s streets seem strangely under-populated.

It’s only toward the end that a full accounting of what’s actually happening is supplied. It’s creative and raises ethical questions, yet Allan underplays that also, the focus remaining on Lauren even when what’s going on with her mother is potentially more interesting.

This is a fine opening volume presenting an engaging cast living interesting lives, and that continues in Vol. 2.

The first three Wolf’s Head paperbacks originally appeared in hardcover as We All Want to Change the World.