I just finished reading Murder Falcon by Daniel Warren Johnson earlier today, and it was long overdue!
I figured a quick write up would be a great test of the new community features on Steem, and get me in the running for some sweet artwork by 
So, why was this bit of reading long overdue? Well, I had to look back and see, but it turns out I'd read the first four issues of Murder Falcon a full year ago before getting sidetracked with other reading and projects of my own. And yes, I know this because I actually keep a log of my comic book reading... I'm that kind of meticulous nerd. Digging through my massive "to read" pile recently, I hauled the final four issues to the surface to finally rectify my error.
Murder Falcon is a self contained 8 issue series that's unbridled fun with a ton of heart. Not to mention it's just plain metal.
The story centers around Jake, the lead guitarist for metal band Brooticus. Ancient forces of evil and despair are set to consume the earth and Jake finds himself drawn into the battle utilizing a mystical guitar which summons the Murder Falcon, affectionately known as "Murf."
Jake must reunite his band, gather more fantastical instruments, and muster the forces needed to defeat the encroaching chaos. Johnson's artwork is perfect for the story he's created. It's a great blend of western action comics, anime, cartooning, and metal music culture.
Quite a bit of the comic is just unadulterated fun. I got a good grin out of Murf's first "flight."
And some pure 12 year old boy "This is so cooool!!!" giddiness at some of Murf's flights to come! (The gatling guns didn't hurt either...)
But there's also a ton of heart in the writing. Johnson's love of music and belief in its power pours through the pages. A big part of the plot centers around one of the characters battle with cancer. This resonated big with me, as that's a battle currently being faced in my own family and I've gotta admit I was actually choked up a bit at the series finale.
Murder Falcon is well worth the read. I can think of a friend or two who would really enjoy it and I'm tempted to pick up a couple trade paperback collections and just drop it out there as a random gift. That's pretty high praise when a story is "giftable."
Maybe it's not as good a gift as the Cowbell of Eternal Flames... but it'll do just fine.
- Bryan "the Imp" Imhoff
all images in this post taken by myself, with the material copyright their respective owners, used here under fair use for review purposes!
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