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Shaolin Cowboy #1-7
The Shaolin Cowboy (2004-2007), #2
The saga of one man's fight against the walking dead as you've never seen it before! The action never lets up as a chainsaw of events pits the comic world's favorite Shaolin Cowboy against a legion of gourmets from the fourth level of hell, intent on turning America's finest youth into an endless shemp buffet. Strap on your six-guns, gas up your chainsaw, and hang on, 'cuz you aren't in Downton Abbey anymore.
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First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 14, 2020
Good action, relatable protagonist despite him not speaking much (it's the body language that does it, I think), and if there's a little too much talk and explanation and such things, then at least it's usually well spoken and full of wit.
April 18, 2022
Najpierw zaciekawienie, bo grafiki jak u Moebiusa i stężenie abstrakcji i absurdalnej przemocy takie, że musi robić wrażenie. Gra z czytelnikiem na etapie historii z krabem bawi i zachęca do dalszej lektury. Później miałem jednak poczucie coraz większego bełkotu i improwizacji. Niby nadal ok, ale w tym stężeniu i przy tej objętości zaczęło męczyć. Ciekawe, choć w moim przypadku jednorazowe doświadczenie
May 27, 2019
The fantastic art is The best part of this book. The plot (what plot there is) isn't great and the humor gets stale very fast.
August 11, 2022
Mmm... tohle fakt ne. První sešit mi přišel skvělej, stránky s čekajícími záporáky jsou boží, jenže pak začne něco jako příběh a s ním přichází i maximální cringe. Přemýšlím, nakolik za to může českej překlad, ale dočíst to bylo fakt utrpení.
October 14, 2017
turns out I read the sequel to this which is basically one blood splattered, zombie dismembered scene after another without real plotting or change. So I've moved my review over to that edition, but I'll leave my notes and rating here because though the prologue on this successor (which sums up all of these events) is pretty humorous, i have to say the author/artist blew all his ideas in this volume so it would be disappointing to read this one and then expect more later.
January 21, 2018
Book Info: This collection contains
The Shaolin Cowboy
issues #1-7.
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
The Shaolin Cowboy, in Darrow's words, is set "someplace in the middle of nowhere," on "the day before yesterday and a week before tomorrow." It's a comedic weird Western about the raucous exploits of the mysterious Shaolin Cowboy and his talking donkey, Evelyn D. Winnieford. During the course of the book, and between Evelyn's incessant monologues, the two face all manner of foes looking for trouble in the dry desert badlands. And that's it. That's my overview. Normally, I'd paint a much more elaborate portrait of the story, but in this case, the book's story is essentially the same as its premise. That said, I'm sure you must be asking yourself: how the heck could such a thing even work as a book? Is there truly no plotline to be found here?
Well truth be told, the above description may be just a tad misleading: there are in fact discrete events which take place along a coherent timeline, and the narrative structure is presented in a pretty conventional way. However, there isn't very much by way of an overarching conflict or goal to hold the book together, and *that's* primarily what's makes it so unconventional. Darrow just throws you into this vast and colorful world, and then proceeds to navigate it like a tour guide without a planned route. To him, it's all about the journey, and the destination is insignificant, if not entirely non-applicable. Essentially, to read The Shaolin Cowboy is to experience shock and awe randomness in all its vibrant glory, and it's a tale where story and characterization are mostly background concerns.
Discounting the Western elements, I think the most obvious comparison to make for this book is with Kill Bill . But I think there maybe is a little bit of Kung-Fu Hustle mixed-in there as well. And though for most, the blend of blood, revenge, stunning swordplay, and one vs many fight scenes should make the parallel seem fairly strong, it isn't nearly a perfect one. For one thing, its near-superhuman combat and tonal crudeness are much closer to Kung-Fu Hustle in effect than its humor and dialogue compare to that of Kill Bill. Because believe me: as a writer, Geof Darrow is no Tarrantino. His highly variable humor, which – at its extremes – can rage from side-splittingly funny to utterly high-brow in a heartbeat, promotes a dizzying unevenness that I think can leave readers feeling unsatisfied. On the other hand, Darrow's comedic flexibility ensures that most should be able to find at least a few small laughs somewhere in here, and it's probably the singular trait which allows for such smoothly serendipitous hilarity at times.
[ Just in case you can't read the caption:
"
A mysterious feathered assassin is slaughtering the descendants of Portuguese Captain Mascaregnas, who in 1507 landed on the island of Mauritius and whose expedition there led to the extinction of the much maligned Dodo bird. Shaolin Cowboy discovers he may be related when he finds himself targeted by the killer that turns out to be the last living, and deadly, Dodo. A Dodo who is anything but a dodo in either thought or actions, putting the Cowboy on the endangered species list!
In a side note, the republican led houses of government censured the publishers of Shaolin Cowboy Magazine for its “deplorable depiction of the extinction of wildlife species in a negative light.”
The President refused to take a public stand on the controversy, but The White House confirmed The President felt “the magazine’s portrayal of extinguishing was unevenhanded and unwelcomed in view of current policy.”
"
Huh? Not sure what to make of this.]
[Oh man! I love this crab! In the midst of all the duds, some of these hidden gems really do take you by surprise. And is it just me, or does this strike anyone else as eerily similar to the hero/villain rivalry in Megamind? The phrasing itself (in the last panel) seems nearly identical to something that was said in the film.]
And as I mentioned earlier, much of the book's length is taken up by scenes of the donkey prattling on about whatever comes to his mind at any particular moment. These random speeches are very hit-or-miss, and the verbose "ass-ologues" presented by the Watchowskis at the start of each issue were largely pretentious and bland despite their playful flamboyancy. Also, there are numerous points in the book – especially during times like these – where the comedic references/vocabulary are uncommonly obscure and dated. So if you choose to read this, just remember that the Google search bar is to be your best friend while reading, unless you consider yourself a considerably erudite audience.
[To quote the first six speech bubbles: "Well met, oh faithful literati! Zounds, but our paths do cross in the most rara avis of scenarios. And you have once again caught me in medias res, quite literally! Such is the lot of rowdy, revelin' Evelyn D. Winneford; phillie-anthropist/dark 'horse,' at your service! Time being of the essence on this short but treacherous stretch of blacktop, I vow to be a stern judiciary of brevity and concision. Because though you find me neck-deep in the midst of researching a genre-bending 'road' project, hurtling as a running cannonball's pace, in a custom beetle lamour, peaking from the hallucinatory effects of bufo-marinus, brown, cane-toad extract suppositories, I assure you that word-mincing will be kept to a minimum!"
Without a magnifying glass and mirror at hand, I doubt you could've read that text without some help. But the fact that it's written in dense bureaucratese could only have made understanding it even tougher. Simply put, I assume the joke is that a donkey could somehow be smarter than I am, right? That's hilarious! I can hardly contain my laughter even as I type this! Good one, Geof. Really.]
But as for the characters and worldbuilding, I'll admit to being quite impressed with Darrow's approach. And I've always been big fan of economical storytelling, so I really appreciated the fact that this book did away with the useless padding that needlessly hampers a whole lot of comics out there: the writer makes it so there's no exposition or lead-up toward a specific goal or objective, and we meet new characters while learning backstories or situational details on the fly. Instead of making the story feel rushed, this only adds to the excitement and narrative momentum. So after I finished the book, I couldn't help but marvel at how casually Darrow made it seem like I had just returned from a wild journey, even though in reality, his modest plot hadn't moved me very far at all.
Aside from the fact that the donkey's comic relief and the Shaolin Cowboy's mute stoicism were traits which made them into pretty one-note leads, some of the other characters – particularly the main antagonists – were simply bursting with personality: from the tenacious, kung-fu fighting King Crab and his quest to avenge the loss of his eaten brethren, to the demonic trio seeking to exploit a special infant for commercial gain, you'll be amazed at just what you encounter. I can easily picture some folks having a ton of fun with this, but one might find himself disappointed that the Cowboy doesn't have more to his character than a checkered past and some cool martial arts moves. Similarly, Evelyn's only got a handful of good jokes (in my opinion), and he's mainly there to provide recaps and to be a dialogue proxy for the (mostly) silent Cowboy. That said, The Shaolin Cowboy has still got enough good going for it that I found myself haunted by what might have been had the book found a larger purpose, and transcended the simplistic wandering monk-slash-monster of the week format.
It's gonna sound crazy to say this about an artist of such high caliber, but I believe the only other time I've come across Darrow's artwork was in Frank Miller's Hard Boiled. But unlike that royal shitshow of epic proportions, The Shaolin Cowboy's enthusiasm never really crossed the line into schizophrenic incomprehensibility, and Darrow's pencils were vastly more defined here. As far as I know, the only other illustrators out there with styles bold enough to compete with this guy are Paul Pope and Frank Quitely – the latter of which ended up swiping the Eisner for best artist away from Darrow the year this title was nominated. However, the way this guy can captivate a viewer with his art is probably unparalleled in the world of comic pencillers: more than even Pope, Darrow is a genuine visual poet, and he's somehow able to make action feel completely engaging, even when it lacks a developed context. And by slowing down time to a crawl – as is done several times in the book – he proceeds to weave some perfectly choreographed battle sequences which can span (uninterruptedly) anywhere from 5-21 pages at a time.
[See what I mean? Nobody draws shit like this. It's nuts! And though I won't include a full fight sequence here for you to see, just believe me when I say that Darrow does those better than virtually anyone else in the business. The experience of tracking the elaborate progression of moves in a battle is kinda like watching one of those crazy Quicksilver scenes in the X-Men: Apocalypse and Days of Future Past.]
It's funny, but before rereading this book, I had really planned on writing this glowing review where I'd complain about how unpopular this book was, and make a fuss about the importance of reading it and spreading the word. But now, I honestly wouldn't even know who to recommend it to! I mean, I know there must be lots of people out there who could enjoy this more than I did, but it obviously strikes me as an acquired taste. You see, most funny books benefit from finding and maintaining a comedic consistency, whereas this one bounces all over the place. And the fact that the plot was so aimless certainly didn't help matters. So regardless of what you've heard, one doesn't want to *completely* lose themselves in their work: you can never veer too far off the reservation, because this would be the result. Still, I'd tell any aspiring comic writer to view this both as a cautionary tale *and* as an inspiration, because there's also something truly beautiful about a writer exercising his artistic freedom with wild abandon through a creator-owned indie comic.
Postscript:
I didn't get a chance to discuss this in the main review, but I wanted to touch on Shaolin Cowboy's muddled characterization (if one could even call it that). For most of the comic, he'd give you the impression that he's very much the same as Kwai Chang Caine: quiet, unassuming, dispassionate. You know the type. And this persona is best exemplified when he makes the following statement to King Crab:
It's pretty easy to picture Caine responding the exactly same way if he were in the Cowboy's shoes, isn't it? And that proves that he was trained pretty well. However, after dispatching a group of bandits in the first issue, this is what he does:
[I don't care *what* the history is between these two men: a Shaolin monk should never behave in such a manner.]
These don't exactly match up do they? Well there's more: after the Cowboy demonstrates what appears to be great selflessness and bravery in the second half of the book, that image is confused when you consider what he must have done to be exiled by the Shaolin monastery in the first place, and why the monks and so many countless bandits want him dead. Also, the post-issue B&W photos and captions even further confuse his character. Here's an example:
So my question is: is all this supposed to be funny? Because it's not. Is this supposed to make him interesting? If so, I think all it really does is make him weird: it would've been far more interesting to craft him a stable psyche I could relate to. I'd never want this title to take itself too seriously, but some limits wouldn't hurt – especially since Darrow's wavering sense of humor couldn't possibly save the book from occasionally veering into tedium and childishness. Beyond a certain point, gleeful arbitrariness just becomes, at best, pointless and silly.
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
The Shaolin Cowboy, in Darrow's words, is set "someplace in the middle of nowhere," on "the day before yesterday and a week before tomorrow." It's a comedic weird Western about the raucous exploits of the mysterious Shaolin Cowboy and his talking donkey, Evelyn D. Winnieford. During the course of the book, and between Evelyn's incessant monologues, the two face all manner of foes looking for trouble in the dry desert badlands. And that's it. That's my overview. Normally, I'd paint a much more elaborate portrait of the story, but in this case, the book's story is essentially the same as its premise. That said, I'm sure you must be asking yourself: how the heck could such a thing even work as a book? Is there truly no plotline to be found here?
Well truth be told, the above description may be just a tad misleading: there are in fact discrete events which take place along a coherent timeline, and the narrative structure is presented in a pretty conventional way. However, there isn't very much by way of an overarching conflict or goal to hold the book together, and *that's* primarily what's makes it so unconventional. Darrow just throws you into this vast and colorful world, and then proceeds to navigate it like a tour guide without a planned route. To him, it's all about the journey, and the destination is insignificant, if not entirely non-applicable. Essentially, to read The Shaolin Cowboy is to experience shock and awe randomness in all its vibrant glory, and it's a tale where story and characterization are mostly background concerns.
Discounting the Western elements, I think the most obvious comparison to make for this book is with Kill Bill . But I think there maybe is a little bit of Kung-Fu Hustle mixed-in there as well. And though for most, the blend of blood, revenge, stunning swordplay, and one vs many fight scenes should make the parallel seem fairly strong, it isn't nearly a perfect one. For one thing, its near-superhuman combat and tonal crudeness are much closer to Kung-Fu Hustle in effect than its humor and dialogue compare to that of Kill Bill. Because believe me: as a writer, Geof Darrow is no Tarrantino. His highly variable humor, which – at its extremes – can rage from side-splittingly funny to utterly high-brow in a heartbeat, promotes a dizzying unevenness that I think can leave readers feeling unsatisfied. On the other hand, Darrow's comedic flexibility ensures that most should be able to find at least a few small laughs somewhere in here, and it's probably the singular trait which allows for such smoothly serendipitous hilarity at times.
[ Just in case you can't read the caption:
"
A mysterious feathered assassin is slaughtering the descendants of Portuguese Captain Mascaregnas, who in 1507 landed on the island of Mauritius and whose expedition there led to the extinction of the much maligned Dodo bird. Shaolin Cowboy discovers he may be related when he finds himself targeted by the killer that turns out to be the last living, and deadly, Dodo. A Dodo who is anything but a dodo in either thought or actions, putting the Cowboy on the endangered species list!
In a side note, the republican led houses of government censured the publishers of Shaolin Cowboy Magazine for its “deplorable depiction of the extinction of wildlife species in a negative light.”
The President refused to take a public stand on the controversy, but The White House confirmed The President felt “the magazine’s portrayal of extinguishing was unevenhanded and unwelcomed in view of current policy.”
"
Huh? Not sure what to make of this.]
[Oh man! I love this crab! In the midst of all the duds, some of these hidden gems really do take you by surprise. And is it just me, or does this strike anyone else as eerily similar to the hero/villain rivalry in Megamind? The phrasing itself (in the last panel) seems nearly identical to something that was said in the film.]
And as I mentioned earlier, much of the book's length is taken up by scenes of the donkey prattling on about whatever comes to his mind at any particular moment. These random speeches are very hit-or-miss, and the verbose "ass-ologues" presented by the Watchowskis at the start of each issue were largely pretentious and bland despite their playful flamboyancy. Also, there are numerous points in the book – especially during times like these – where the comedic references/vocabulary are uncommonly obscure and dated. So if you choose to read this, just remember that the Google search bar is to be your best friend while reading, unless you consider yourself a considerably erudite audience.
[To quote the first six speech bubbles: "Well met, oh faithful literati! Zounds, but our paths do cross in the most rara avis of scenarios. And you have once again caught me in medias res, quite literally! Such is the lot of rowdy, revelin' Evelyn D. Winneford; phillie-anthropist/dark 'horse,' at your service! Time being of the essence on this short but treacherous stretch of blacktop, I vow to be a stern judiciary of brevity and concision. Because though you find me neck-deep in the midst of researching a genre-bending 'road' project, hurtling as a running cannonball's pace, in a custom beetle lamour, peaking from the hallucinatory effects of bufo-marinus, brown, cane-toad extract suppositories, I assure you that word-mincing will be kept to a minimum!"
Without a magnifying glass and mirror at hand, I doubt you could've read that text without some help. But the fact that it's written in dense bureaucratese could only have made understanding it even tougher. Simply put, I assume the joke is that a donkey could somehow be smarter than I am, right? That's hilarious! I can hardly contain my laughter even as I type this! Good one, Geof. Really.]
But as for the characters and worldbuilding, I'll admit to being quite impressed with Darrow's approach. And I've always been big fan of economical storytelling, so I really appreciated the fact that this book did away with the useless padding that needlessly hampers a whole lot of comics out there: the writer makes it so there's no exposition or lead-up toward a specific goal or objective, and we meet new characters while learning backstories or situational details on the fly. Instead of making the story feel rushed, this only adds to the excitement and narrative momentum. So after I finished the book, I couldn't help but marvel at how casually Darrow made it seem like I had just returned from a wild journey, even though in reality, his modest plot hadn't moved me very far at all.
Aside from the fact that the donkey's comic relief and the Shaolin Cowboy's mute stoicism were traits which made them into pretty one-note leads, some of the other characters – particularly the main antagonists – were simply bursting with personality: from the tenacious, kung-fu fighting King Crab and his quest to avenge the loss of his eaten brethren, to the demonic trio seeking to exploit a special infant for commercial gain, you'll be amazed at just what you encounter. I can easily picture some folks having a ton of fun with this, but one might find himself disappointed that the Cowboy doesn't have more to his character than a checkered past and some cool martial arts moves. Similarly, Evelyn's only got a handful of good jokes (in my opinion), and he's mainly there to provide recaps and to be a dialogue proxy for the (mostly) silent Cowboy. That said, The Shaolin Cowboy has still got enough good going for it that I found myself haunted by what might have been had the book found a larger purpose, and transcended the simplistic wandering monk-slash-monster of the week format.
It's gonna sound crazy to say this about an artist of such high caliber, but I believe the only other time I've come across Darrow's artwork was in Frank Miller's Hard Boiled. But unlike that royal shitshow of epic proportions, The Shaolin Cowboy's enthusiasm never really crossed the line into schizophrenic incomprehensibility, and Darrow's pencils were vastly more defined here. As far as I know, the only other illustrators out there with styles bold enough to compete with this guy are Paul Pope and Frank Quitely – the latter of which ended up swiping the Eisner for best artist away from Darrow the year this title was nominated. However, the way this guy can captivate a viewer with his art is probably unparalleled in the world of comic pencillers: more than even Pope, Darrow is a genuine visual poet, and he's somehow able to make action feel completely engaging, even when it lacks a developed context. And by slowing down time to a crawl – as is done several times in the book – he proceeds to weave some perfectly choreographed battle sequences which can span (uninterruptedly) anywhere from 5-21 pages at a time.
[See what I mean? Nobody draws shit like this. It's nuts! And though I won't include a full fight sequence here for you to see, just believe me when I say that Darrow does those better than virtually anyone else in the business. The experience of tracking the elaborate progression of moves in a battle is kinda like watching one of those crazy Quicksilver scenes in the X-Men: Apocalypse and Days of Future Past.]
It's funny, but before rereading this book, I had really planned on writing this glowing review where I'd complain about how unpopular this book was, and make a fuss about the importance of reading it and spreading the word. But now, I honestly wouldn't even know who to recommend it to! I mean, I know there must be lots of people out there who could enjoy this more than I did, but it obviously strikes me as an acquired taste. You see, most funny books benefit from finding and maintaining a comedic consistency, whereas this one bounces all over the place. And the fact that the plot was so aimless certainly didn't help matters. So regardless of what you've heard, one doesn't want to *completely* lose themselves in their work: you can never veer too far off the reservation, because this would be the result. Still, I'd tell any aspiring comic writer to view this both as a cautionary tale *and* as an inspiration, because there's also something truly beautiful about a writer exercising his artistic freedom with wild abandon through a creator-owned indie comic.
Postscript:
I didn't get a chance to discuss this in the main review, but I wanted to touch on Shaolin Cowboy's muddled characterization (if one could even call it that). For most of the comic, he'd give you the impression that he's very much the same as Kwai Chang Caine: quiet, unassuming, dispassionate. You know the type. And this persona is best exemplified when he makes the following statement to King Crab:
It's pretty easy to picture Caine responding the exactly same way if he were in the Cowboy's shoes, isn't it? And that proves that he was trained pretty well. However, after dispatching a group of bandits in the first issue, this is what he does:
[I don't care *what* the history is between these two men: a Shaolin monk should never behave in such a manner.]
These don't exactly match up do they? Well there's more: after the Cowboy demonstrates what appears to be great selflessness and bravery in the second half of the book, that image is confused when you consider what he must have done to be exiled by the Shaolin monastery in the first place, and why the monks and so many countless bandits want him dead. Also, the post-issue B&W photos and captions even further confuse his character. Here's an example:
So my question is: is all this supposed to be funny? Because it's not. Is this supposed to make him interesting? If so, I think all it really does is make him weird: it would've been far more interesting to craft him a stable psyche I could relate to. I'd never want this title to take itself too seriously, but some limits wouldn't hurt – especially since Darrow's wavering sense of humor couldn't possibly save the book from occasionally veering into tedium and childishness. Beyond a certain point, gleeful arbitrariness just becomes, at best, pointless and silly.
August 26, 2007
If you don't read "Shaolin Cowboy", you have no business calling yourself a reader of comic books. Further: if you don't "get" this book, you are a pussy.
February 25, 2026
The story tries to be funny, but the absurd humor isn't a good match for me. Some animals can talk, there is an exaggerated amount of fighting that could have been shortened for the same effect and some drawn-out dialogue that has exaclty one quality - it's drawn-out. The artwork is ok, though. It almost feels like all of the focus went on the artwork and just random ideas in the speech bubbles.
Bottom line, this is one of the crappiest comics I've ever read. And I've read a few. I'm not saying don't read it, quite the contrary. I say DO READ IT and do so as soon as possible. Everything else you read will seem like a work of art.
After taking care of the John Boys, the shaolin Cowboy is surrounded by a large group of people he crossed during his travels. He proceeds to kill them where they stand, while his talking horse (?!) looks on.
Bottom line, this is one of the crappiest comics I've ever read. And I've read a few. I'm not saying don't read it, quite the contrary. I say DO READ IT and do so as soon as possible. Everything else you read will seem like a work of art.
After taking care of the John Boys, the shaolin Cowboy is surrounded by a large group of people he crossed during his travels. He proceeds to kill them where they stand, while his talking horse (?!) looks on.
December 10, 2023
4 stars for Darrow's art
2.5 stars for the script/'story'
Mad, bad and super-detailed to know (& read).
I am very much a fan of Geof Darrow's art, but this just feels super Metal Hurlant self-indulgent; I don't even know how to categorise that which resides within this collection - it starts out as a hero-cornered gun and knife fight in the desert and then quickly transforms into something that wouldn't feel completely out of place in a Hellboy comic with floating demons, a baby that transforms into a chi-powered monkey and a monster-residing skeletal villian with more than a passing nod to the work of the great Moebius. It's bizarre, irreverent, all over the place and it seriously tried my patience, although I did read it to the very end, where it finished mid-scene...whereupon, I swore, out loud...
2.5 stars for the script/'story'
Mad, bad and super-detailed to know (& read).
I am very much a fan of Geof Darrow's art, but this just feels super Metal Hurlant self-indulgent; I don't even know how to categorise that which resides within this collection - it starts out as a hero-cornered gun and knife fight in the desert and then quickly transforms into something that wouldn't feel completely out of place in a Hellboy comic with floating demons, a baby that transforms into a chi-powered monkey and a monster-residing skeletal villian with more than a passing nod to the work of the great Moebius. It's bizarre, irreverent, all over the place and it seriously tried my patience, although I did read it to the very end, where it finished mid-scene...whereupon, I swore, out loud...
October 10, 2021
The art is unbelievable. The writing is also unbelievable, but not in the same, positive way.
The dialog feels like weird Andy Kaufman stream-of-consciousness that just gets passed from one character to the other. I read maybe the last quarter of the book without any of the dialog and it was a much better experience. This book would totally work wordless. It’d be weird and fun and maybe a little less frustrating. It’s pretty unintelligible as it is, it’s not like this has a tight plot that the book would be lost without.
Shaolin Cowboy, while a great idea for a Garth Brooks/Will-Tang mashup album title, just didn’t deliver the goods for me.
The dialog feels like weird Andy Kaufman stream-of-consciousness that just gets passed from one character to the other. I read maybe the last quarter of the book without any of the dialog and it was a much better experience. This book would totally work wordless. It’d be weird and fun and maybe a little less frustrating. It’s pretty unintelligible as it is, it’s not like this has a tight plot that the book would be lost without.
Shaolin Cowboy, while a great idea for a Garth Brooks/Will-Tang mashup album title, just didn’t deliver the goods for me.
September 9, 2023
One should only read this comic for the art and unique fights.
The dialogue adds nothing to the story and is painfully thick and unfunny, and the whole experience is only improved by mostly skipping it.
The dialogue adds nothing to the story and is painfully thick and unfunny, and the whole experience is only improved by mostly skipping it.
August 20, 2024
I just picked this up on a whim cause the art looked cool. Well.... the art is cool....
weird dialog, lots of murder, tons of racial slurs from a republican donkey...? like i said just kinda weird.
again...cool art . . . . .
weird dialog, lots of murder, tons of racial slurs from a republican donkey...? like i said just kinda weird.
again...cool art . . . . .
May 3, 2018
This whole series is bizarre and bent and beautiful.
March 18, 2020
+ Great art.
+ Fun action.
- Slim story.
- Bad gags.
+ Fun action.
- Slim story.
- Bad gags.
December 1, 2021
Nie moje poczucie humoru.
September 27, 2022
The art is amazing.
April 1, 2023
Incredible artwork
April 4, 2023
Fantastic artwork
May 7, 2024
Excellent art! Imagination thrums throughout, dialogue is absurd and gets wearisome as u progress tbh. Fun read though
June 4, 2024
Completely fucking nuts. Not a criticism.
November 22, 2025
Please Mr Darrow, leave the writing to someone else, I like your art, but the writing in this made me feel like jumping out my window
May 15, 2017
2.7 stars rounded up, I guess. Geof Darrow's art is great. There is more of a story here than in the Shemp Buffet volume. Darrow's pacing reminds me of Seth MacFarlane's penchant in Family Guy for holding onto punchlines far too long in order to elicit studied awkwardness. Instead of seeking to elicit awkwardness, I think Darrow simply has a determined focus and really likes drawing slaughter-fests. In the Shaolin Cowboy, Darrow illustrates only a few scenes, which he draws out over seven (though it feels like ten) issues. Regrettably, there are also many embarrassingly earnest attempts at rapping.
February 12, 2013
Now this is a peculiar comic. It's about a former shaolin monk who now roams the deserts as an outlaw cowboy. Many people are after him but it's not an easy task since he's quite an expert with martial arts and firearms alike. The premise itself is somewhat over the top but it doesn't prepare you for the over-the-topness of the comic. Delivered with beautiful artwork is some of the toughest action ever to be seen on paper. The action scenes are so cool, that a movie adaptation could never fail, especially if the Wachowskis who've written the (boring) recap dialogues got their hands on it. In the absolutely coolest action scene I've ever seen anywhere, this is a direct quote from Wikipedia and also a mild SPOILER,
the main character battles a giant shark with a human head in its mouth using two chainsaws tied on the ends of a long stick -- which all takes place in the canalization in the stomach of a lizard, on whose back a city is located.
END SPOILER. Tell me how does it get cooler than that. However Shaolin Cowboy is lowered from near pefect to just very good by some quite long boring dialogue sections that are of no interest to anyone. Still, good stuff.
Check it out.
the main character battles a giant shark with a human head in its mouth using two chainsaws tied on the ends of a long stick -- which all takes place in the canalization in the stomach of a lizard, on whose back a city is located.
END SPOILER. Tell me how does it get cooler than that. However Shaolin Cowboy is lowered from near pefect to just very good by some quite long boring dialogue sections that are of no interest to anyone. Still, good stuff.
Check it out.
August 25, 2025
The Shaolin Cowboy.
A Shaolin Monk
exiled from the order
for his excesses.
Most notably at
an all you can
eat crab buffet.
(which also is the
origin story
for his nemesis,
a crab who's family
was part of the slaughter)
this particular bit
of insanity is indicative
of the entire series)
The Shaolin Cowboy
wanders the Earth
looking for salvation
(or another buffet that he
is not banned from)
From the sample of art work
from Darrow above
you can see how
gifted an artist
Darrow is.
Perhaps on par
with Sergio Aragones.
Insane fun and
of course
The Old Ultra Violence.
A Shaolin Monk
exiled from the order
for his excesses.
Most notably at
an all you can
eat crab buffet.
(which also is the
origin story
for his nemesis,
a crab who's family
was part of the slaughter)
this particular bit
of insanity is indicative
of the entire series)
The Shaolin Cowboy
wanders the Earth
looking for salvation
(or another buffet that he
is not banned from)
From the sample of art work
from Darrow above
you can see how
gifted an artist
Darrow is.
Perhaps on par
with Sergio Aragones.
Insane fun and
of course
The Old Ultra Violence.
October 18, 2014
Для продовження історії намалював обкладинку Міньйола. А під обкладинкою мовчазний чоловік у червоній одежині зустріне свого ворога — недалекоглядного краба. Ну, зустріне, і поїде собі далі через гору трупів.
Окремо хочеться відзначити ретельну промальовку всіх деталей. Як і у художників давнини, тут немає глибини різкості. Всюди можна розгледіти все, а пороздивлятися є що.
Неймовірна деталізація графіки у співвідношенні з граничним наївом сюжету теж вражають.
Окремо хочеться відзначити ретельну промальовку всіх деталей. Як і у художників давнини, тут немає глибини різкості. Всюди можна розгледіти все, а пороздивлятися є що.
Неймовірна деталізація графіки у співвідношенні з граничним наївом сюжету теж вражають.
August 3, 2017
gods I had fun!
It's utter, complete and unrelenting nonsense delivered with some stunningly detailed, breathtaking artwork that will keep you glued to every single panel. I took forever to decide to buy and read this comic and I definitely not regret it!
It's utter, complete and unrelenting nonsense delivered with some stunningly detailed, breathtaking artwork that will keep you glued to every single panel. I took forever to decide to buy and read this comic and I definitely not regret it!
March 4, 2015
The story is crazy and the dialogue is nuts but the art is beyond amazing. 4 stars just for the art.
July 30, 2015
3.5 stars
August 15, 2015
5 star art lame ass story
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews