UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: BLOOD OF THE WOLFMAN #2 (SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT/IMAGE COMICS)

As Adam continues to struggle with the guilt that he may have been behind the murders at the college, the cops continue to close in on him. Now, his father is using his money and influence to pull all the strings he can to keep Adam out of prison. However, is he doing this out of love for his son, or is he hiding something more nefarious?

Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolfman #2 - Written By Joshua Williamson - Art By Leomacs - Colors By Pip Martin – Letters By D.C Hopkins - Published By Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics

Credit: Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

The police are chomping at the bit to question Adam about the murders at the college. Well at least Coates is, Morrow is still taking up for his old pal Henry. Meanwhile, Adam meets with Doctor Apple to talk about the nightmares he’s been having and how he thinks something dark is living inside of him. His father is against the nonsense that his son is spewing, but it seems like there is more to his defensiveness than what he’s leading on. After some convincing Adam gets his dad to take him to a supernatural store where he looks up werewolves and what he discovers gets him rethinking everything. But just when he starts to put things together the police show up with a warrant.

WRITING:

This issue delivers a fantastic amount of story development and suspenseful build up, giving the mystery around Adam much more room to breathe. Joshua Williamson does a strong job widening the scope of the story while also tightening the emotional pressure around Adam himself. Instead of rushing straight into another round of horror and gore, the issue slows down just enough to let the uncertainty settle in. Adam is not only dealing with the possibility that he may have been involved in the murders at the college, but he is also beginning to question whether something darker has always been buried inside him. That internal conflict gives the issue a stronger emotional weight and makes the supernatural mystery feel more personal than simple monster mayhem.

The strongest part of the writing is how Williamson uses Adam’s family history to make every conversation feel loaded with suspicion. His father’s defensiveness does not come across as simple concern, because every reaction feels like it is hiding another layer of truth. The way other locals speak about Adam’s mother and brother only deepens that unease, making it clear that the family has a past the town remembers but refuses to discuss openly. Those hints give the reader just enough information to start connecting pieces without revealing the full picture too early. It creates the sense that Adam is not discovering a new nightmare so much as uncovering one that has been waiting for him his entire life.

That balance between investigation, paranoia, and family secrets is what makes the issue work so well. The police closing in adds immediate pressure, while Adam’s search for answers gives the story forward momentum. The visit to the supernatural shop is especially effective because it allows the werewolf mythology to enter the story in a way that feels natural rather than forced. Adam’s fear, confusion, and growing suspicion all build toward the arrival of the warrant, which lands like the perfect interruption just as he starts to understand what may be happening to him.

Williamson crafts the mystery with confidence by keeping the horror mostly in the background and letting dread do the heavy lifting. The lack of constant gore is not a weakness here; it is one of the issue’s biggest strengths. By holding back on the violence, the story creates more anticipation for when the monster side of the book eventually breaks loose again. The result is a suspense-driven chapter that expands the mythology, strengthens Adam’s character arc, and makes the reader feel like the series has only revealed the very tip of the iceberg.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this issue takes the suspense portions of the story and turns them up even more, giving the entire book a heavy, uneasy atmosphere that matches Adam’s growing fear. Leomacs does an excellent job making the emotional side of the story feel just as important as the horror elements. Adam’s concern, confusion, guilt, and desperation are all shown through small glances, tense body language, and expressive facial reactions. Those details help the reader understand exactly where Adam is mentally without the story needing to overexplain it. Every worried look or moment of hesitation makes it clear that Adam is not just scared of the police investigation, but also terrified of what he might discover about himself.

Henry is another major visual strength of the issue. Leomacs gives him expressions that instantly make the reader question what he knows and what he is trying to keep buried. His face often carries more information than his dialogue, and that makes his scenes with Adam feel full of tension. Even when Henry is acting like a protective father, there is a stiffness and guarded quality to him that suggests there is a much larger secret behind his actions. That visual uncertainty adds another layer to the family drama and keeps the suspense alive in quieter scenes.

The backgrounds and town design also do a lot of heavy lifting. The environments feel period appropriate, instantly transporting the reader to the right era without needing to call too much attention to themselves. The streets, interiors, medical office, and supernatural shop all have a grounded quality that helps the story feel believable before the werewolf mythology begins to take over. That contrast is important because the more normal and familiar the world feels, the more unsettling the supernatural pieces become once they start creeping into Adam’s life.

The few more graphic panels give readers a strong taste of the horror that was on full display in the first issue, but they are used sparingly enough that they still have impact. Leomacs knows when to pull back and let the suspense build through atmosphere, and when to hit the reader with something more violent and disturbing. That balance keeps the book from becoming visually repetitive and makes each shocking image feel earned. The horror is always present, even when it is not dominating the page, which helps the issue maintain a constant sense of danger.

Pip Martin’s colors bring the art together beautifully. The color choices give the issue an aged, period-piece quality that makes it clear the story is set in the past rather than the present day. The tones also help separate the grounded investigative scenes from the darker supernatural elements, giving the book a moody visual rhythm. Shadows, muted colors, and warmer aged tones all work together to make the pages feel tense, mysterious, and slightly grimy in the best possible way. D.C Hopkins’ lettering also keeps the dialogue and tension flowing smoothly, making the quieter conversations easy to follow while still allowing the bigger dramatic moments to land with the right amount of force.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF BLOOD OF THE WOLFMAN #1

Final Thoughts:

Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolfman #2 pulls back on the horror and gore, well going full speed ahead on the mystery and suspense. This issue builds the story up which creates so much intrigue, suspense, and anticipation it will have every reader chomping at the bit to read the next issue. This series is shaping up to be one of the best horror comics of the year and with so many awesome books in that genre that is no easy feat. If you haven’t been reading this one already, make sure to grab this issue as well as issue one when you are at the shop this week and be prepared to howl at the moon over this series.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10

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