Bloody and brutal, Hound GN is a graphic novel with bite. Putting a horror twist on an already horrible historical moment, it's short but definitely not sweet, bound by the vicious, yet unavoidable, fact that war doesn't always make monsters of men - sometimes, it just unleashes what's already there.

Read this if you like your history AND your graphic novels brutal - both physically and emotionally!

The artwork does a wonderful job of telling the story of William Barrow a young British soldier in Germany during WWI. Barrow's journal is found in a den of large wolf-like creatures by an old man and we experience the story of the events leading to Barrow's death as the old man reads it. What unfolds is a horrific tale of violence and the animalistic side of war and humanity.

The artwork fit the style of the story and had a feeling of movement with the color pallet well suited to the mood. The amount of dialogue and text boxes was appropriate for the story being told.

The only place it falls a little for me is in the explanation of events, the way the climax in action is resolved could use just a single page or two explanation to bring it all together for me.

An extremely dark story about a new soldier arriving to the front during World War I. Due to his experience working in sewers, he's assigned to the Hounds, a group that goes off on its own, always wearing gas masks. He's given an initiation that he must pass in order to stay alive. Things continue to head south from there.

A lot of the story is wordless, trusting the art to tell the story and therein lies the rub. I get why the art is so rough. The problem is it's too rough at times to clearly tell the story and there were multiple times where I was confused about why certain things were happening. There also a large passage that is in untranslated German. If there's anything that takes me out of a comic, it's needing to use Google Translate on my phone in order to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for an ARC of Hound!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I typically don't read graphic novels, but there are some I've read that I've thoroughly enjoyed. This was definitely one of them. The graphics were gritty, gory, and extremely fitting for the tone of the story. Short and sweet, this one got to the point quickly and was extremely fast-paced. The story also had a positive message about life and death and war, despite it being so horrific and grim. My only complaint was that it was too short and I wouldn't have been upset if more had been added.

As a slight history nerd, with an interest in werewolf mythology, this was right up my alley.

Much like the style of narration found overhead in a military or war film, our protagonist Barrow provides an accounting of the experience, which is not just of the horrors found in war, but also of the wickedness that consumes the minds of those present in such conditions. The stages of transition are evident: from being green, overcome by the shadow of dread, to the experiences that induced desensitization at such scale to create our dog soldiers.

The art and color scheme reinforced the atmosphere. Structures in varying states of decay - lacking color, conveying this bleakness. Our characters are rough in design, as to be expected in such a place, yet the faces of each displayed their respective emotions. Our protagonist with his hesitation as a participant, and our Hounds, with their ravenous desires on this battlefield.

For the German soldiers, there was a layer of authenticity when their native-tongue was spoken as text in each respective panel. However, these statements were devoid of translation to English. I took the time to translate, but not everyone will.

This horror comics/graphic novel fan is absolutely satisfied.

"Hounds" is an eerie and haunting tale that restates that oft learned and more oft forgotten truism that war brings out the monstrous in humanity. The First World War One setting does much to make this point as does the inclusion of light fantastical and horror genre elements However, the actually story is not significantly nuanced or insightful and some readers may find that the horrors of this war are significant enough that embellishments are not needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

A rousing World War 1 Werewolf story. Or is it a zombie story? Whatever the case, it's a well-illustrated comic with a thin line that looks like ink on paper, even if it was drawn digitally. The colors are great and moody. The writing is thoughtful. Much of the book is without dialogue or exposition; instead, it relies on well-rendered scenes, movement, and action. It's a quick read, but I really liked this work and will check out more from the creative team.

This is one of the best graphic novels I have read in years. It is up there with Junji Ito, but this story is unlike Ito's work. It will invoke in you some strong emotions that will linger, just the way a graphic novel should.

This magnificent book offers the visceral and raw emotions of Private Barrow as he joins a group of men on the western front during World War I. He shares with us his inner demons and the battles not only in the trenches, but what he experiences internally. Will he always do the right thing? Can he, in the midst of blood and death, chose to remain collected and separate logic from insanity?

The artwork is magnificent as well. It has a dark atmosphere with pops of different shades of red to enhance your experience with the blood and death on the battle fields. If you look closely at the panels (the individual boxes of artwork) you will find the many different faces of fear and pain.

I highly recommend giving this a read, but take your time. Enjoy the artwork and feel the words. You will most definitely come away with a new sense of what war is like.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MadCaveStudios for #HoundGN

Thanks to NetGalley for this review copy.

William Barrow is moved to the darkest part of the war. Not the gas-filled quarter he thinks he's been transferred to, but rather the new group of soldiers he's joined. A dark, twisted group of soldiers known collectively as The Hounds that haunt that quarter. A brutal group of men changed by the war around them.

The writing was engaging and the storyline drew me in as well. I loved Barrow's character and his journey throughout the story to the final page. Each panel pulled me through to the next and I whizzed through it quickly. The art felt a bit gritty and dirty, by design, and was evocative of the place, time, and events that it was portraying. At times, I felt it was a bit looser (I won't say sloppier, but close) than it needed to be to portray that in the panels, but it did its job.

I'd love to see more work from both the authors and the artist. Gripping and engaging in a twisted take on WW1. I got what I came for.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Mad Cave Studios for an advance copy of this graphic novel dealing with the horrors of war, how war can change someone, and the benevolent power of wolves.

The idea of war and warfare should be an anathema to humans, but it seems to show no signs of going away. People can always be riled up against the different, jealous of their freedoms, their food and riches. Wave a rag loud and high enough and people will pay taxes for bombs to blow hospitals to the hell where their Gods demand the enemies go. People say that war reduces us to animals, but animals don't seem to kill for the reasons we do, and seems like a slur to animals. Hounds is a graphic novel written by Sam Romesburg and Sam Freeman, illustrated by Rodrigo Vázquez, about war, losing control of oneself, and of the dark things that exist in the dark, in the trenches and in the human heart.

A young recruit drafted into the British army by the nae of Barrow is sent to the front for the first time. Barrow was a tosher, one who crawled through the sewers of London looking for things to sell, and is given an assignment with a unit known as the Hounds. The Hounds patrol an area that is constantly under mustard gas attack and where thick gas masks, that make them look like canines. A man used to sewers will be used to gas, and small spaces is the thinking, though the other members of the Hounds don't seem as thrilled, nor talkative as their masks are never taken off. Barrow follows the unit to a farmhouse, with a basement full of horrors and strange talk of what will happen when the night comes. And when it comes things are far, far worse than what Barrow ever expected.

A horror story of war, madness, and redemption, with a lot of violence. This is a short graphic novel, but is pretty complete and reads like an old Weird Tale or a story from one of the English masters of the early last century, with a lot of Métal hurlent artwork and again violence. There are a lot of questions that don't have answers, and how Barrow becomes such a good shot, is never explained, but the story is good, short and succinct. The moodiness along with the propulsive element the story has moves things along well, and really helps keep the reader interested. The art really makes this story. The men are well drawn, with details on the equipment and in the clothing keeping the reader grounded, even while the normal trenches and the scope of the war are just off slightly, eerie and full of fear. I liked the colors, the scenes in nature and even the characters at rest have a very defined role. Detailed yet fantastique.

Recommended for horror readers especially ones that like the feel of older horror stories, the type of story where bad things happen because the world is bad, and that is the only explanation one gets. Also for fans of the artist, as this is the first I have seen by him, but will have to look for more, as the visuals are quite good, disquieting, but good.

90/100 or 4.50 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange or an honest review.

The artwork, the story, and the messages were done so well. This was so much better than I was expecting. I would definitely want to buy this when it comes out and add it to my collection!

This was an arc I got from Netgalley:

This was an absolute surprise and I was not expecting to be hit with such real emotion near the end.

A new recruit in WW1 escapes the trenches, only to be assigned with an even worse task. The dehumanization of life in a gas mask is wonderfully portrayed via the artwork, and is turned on its head in the mid point.

The nightmare of war and trying to keep your humanity in a world of horrors was excellent.

The artwork in this really captures the setting and the descent into madness.

Very exciting and unexpected story and turn of events.
Great art and writing. A short story yet intriguing and captivating.

This was a excellently dark and gritty book.

The artwork feels vintage, like the original Heavy Metal science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, it also reminds me of The City a graphic novel by James Herbert & Ian Miller (Illustrator).

The style, and colour fits in beautifully with the bleak and poetic WWI story.

It is works like this that show people that Graphic Novels are a serious storytelling medium.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

Hound is grappling and visceral reading. It’s atmospheric and will stick with you. Recommended for readers who enjoy the work of creators like Garth Ennis — war and emotion.

World War One. A poor kid is sent to the front - and assigned to a squad that hides some terrific secrets, to fight some enemies with terrific secrets of their own. Scarred by the war, the kid tries with all his might to keep his humanity - but sometimes, no matter how hard you try, destiny has a way to catch up with you…

This graphic novel feels like a short story from one of those old Creepy / Eerie horror comics anthologies of the seventies, only needlessly bloated and uglier. Sorry, I get why the art style is the way it is, but I just couldn’t care for it - doesn't have that creepy / nauseating vibe the best horror comics do. What the art does well, though, is convey the emotions of the characters and highlight the clash between the light and darkness within them.

An OK comic, like a quick snack when dinner is too far away.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.

Hound GN was unlike any other graphic novel/comic that I have read thus far this year. It is so unique and disturbing, while all at the same time remaining hopeful and maintaining a positive message.

This graphic novel follows our main character as they join a new squad during the First World War. What follows after this initial introduction is nothing short of a terrifying and bloodthirsty initiation. The new squad has some dark and horrific secrets of their own and when our main character makes their choice, nothing will be the same ever again.

This is such a quickly-paced story and it holds the attention of the read immediately. The way this is presented in a "found footage" format definitely was something unique and enjoyable. It felt hopeful about the beautiful parts of life in the face of War and death and destruction. Readers everywhere are going to enjoy this and I can't wait for them to get their hands on it. Check it out!