West of Sundown Vol. 1: Out Beyond the Dust N' Dark

West of Sundown #1-5

by Tim Seeley

From Dusk Till Dawn and American Vampire meet The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in this terrifying tale of the Old West, survival, blood, and monsters. La Sangre es la Vida. A beautiful vampire must flee monster slayers in New York City and reclaim the ancestral soil that restores her undead flesh. But the world has changed since she was reborn in the New Mexico desert, and now, Constance Der Abend and her loyal assistant Dooley , must adapt to life in the rough frontier town of Sangre De Moro, where all sorts of monsters have settled. West of Sundown – where Hammer Horror and literary monsters stake their claim in old New Mexico. A Western tale of survival starring a cast of literary horrors from the diabolical minds of Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, The Masquerade, Money Shot), Aaron Campbell (Hellblazer, Infidel), and Jim Terry (Vampirella, Come Home, Indio)! For fans of Westworld, Red Dead Redemption, American Vampire, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hammer Horror films, Universal monsters, and Preacher! Collects the entire 5-issue first arc of the smash-hit series! "If you like your horse operas bloody, if you thought The Searchers was fine, except for all the missing vampires and werewolves and monsters, then … Tim Seeley, Aaron Campbell, and Jim Terry have a book here for you. Come walk with them through the Old West, and don’t trust them when they tell you it’s all going to be fine. It’s not. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.” --Stephen Graham Jones (New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, My Heart is a Chainsaw) "Vigorous, bloody pulp fiction boned with fierce intelligence and blooded with delicate observation. This just might be the start of the best monster universe since Universal's."" -- Daniel Kraus (New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Water, Trollhunters, and The Autumnal)"

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Vampires, Westerns, Monsters, Fantasy

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2023

About the author

Tim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it.



But the question is really do you want to read a story about a vampire and her Civil War version of a sympathetic Renfield as they meet up with literary characters who have been given a new twist?
In this first volume, Frankenstein's Monster and the Invisible Man get a slight makeover by Seeley that I thought was kind of cool.



After her home in New York is burned to the ground, a beautiful vampire takes her faithful retainer on a trip to the Wild West to find the dirt of her homeland, while being stalked by two vampire hunters, Frank and Griffin.



The blurb says it's From Dusk Till Dawn and American Vampire meet The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and if you take out From Dusk Till Dawn (because it's a movie) that's actually kind of a spot-on description of this comic.
But both of those concepts are somewhat niche. So, now you've got an audience that likes cowboy vampires and you've tried to mix it with an audience that wants to read about famous literary monsters.
Your audience just got smaller.



And I honestly think that's why this has such lukewarm reviews. You're either going to fit into a very small category or you're not. If you think you fit into this group, I'd say give it a shot.
Recommendedish.

2025
Just re-read this one to refresh my memory for the next volume. Still liked it.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. It started out strong. I very much enjoyed Constance and Dooley's interactions. I even appreciate some of the humor present in the rest of the story. But I was just so often confused by the sudden appearance of characters with histories I was apparently supposed to glean from context, but didn't. All in all, I'll call it a middle-of-the-road read. I did like the art though.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had really high hopes for this but it was kind of a let down. Good artwork and a great start BUT what turned me off was that there are just too many monsters or creatures / vampire in the Wild West is what sold me but I lost interest After the chuppacabras- just a little too much going on !

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billed as sort of a gothic Hammer Horror western. It lives up to that a bit.

A lady vampire and her familiar are being hunted across the west by a man named Griffin who’s dressed like the invisible man and a monster that may or may not be Frankenstein’s monster.

I really enjoyed this, it reminded me a lot of American Vampire.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: I read this in the original single monthly issues.

OMG, that’s a boatload of comparisons in the Goodreads synopsis. Makes it seem like this is just a big copycat mishmash of a bunch of things. Sure, it does use familiar tropes and posits characters/monsters that are different takes on Universal monsters (Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, etc) and Hammer films (female Dracula, Wolfman).

But, this is worthy for the story and presentation. This also adds some newer characters like a religious, creature-worshipping cult leader, a sheriff who’d rather be a dime-novel writer, and puts a new spin on the usual Renfield-like vampire companion.

It’s a weird western for sure, but an engaging drama. Although, at times the plethora of characters and situations can make it a bit confusing, I also love the covers that pay respect to classic Hammer Films movie posters.

Here’s some more comparisons: This reminded me of spaghetti westerns, Dark Shadows soap opera, and the Penny Dreadful horror/drama television series from 2014.

The dynamic art by Jim Terry is perfectly suited to the weird western genre and Triona Farrell does a bang-up job on colors.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/X-fhi_QraZs

[Lokita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great Scott, that was a book.

Trying to untangle the Gordian knot of emotions I have for this work is a challenge. I think a decent summation would be: if Tarantino directed the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in the heyday of Hammer horror. This book is graphic enough in places I blush to admit I read it. It skates the edge of exploitation. And the artwork is definitely not for me.

Frankenstein's creature, a vampire hunter? An Irish soldier in thrall to a lady vampire who kills evildoers? A sideshow freak named after the Invisible Man turned mad scientist? A Mexican legend of a...vampire or werewolf, I'm frankly unclear which? There are so many elements here that beg for exploration, including a theme of early American morality. But the glut of ideas is precisely the problem. (I won't even touch on the alternate dimensions, the cult, the broken marriages, the role of religion, or God help us, Dr. Moreau.) As a novel, this story would be unwieldy. As a comic, it's downright overblown. There are a hundred things going on and there is simply not enough runtime (to use film vernacular) to deal with all of it. I feel far more bombarded than entertained.

But I have to say this much: it made me very happy to see Frankenstein's Creature treated like a person, and even get a bit of a redemption arc.

[The Litt Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp, I read it. And you should read my review. Head over to The Litt Librarian to get the experience.

I recently toured a graphic novel featuring vampires and other creatures of the Old West, and my thoughts on the story are lackluster at best. Why did I pick up the story knowing that I'm not a fan of otherworldly creatures? Well, the synopsis intrigued me. I was promised a story of a vampiress traveling back to her native land to reclaim her ancestral soil. On her quest, hunters track her down to rid her of the world. Seely delivered that part of the story, but it didn't wow me as much as I thought it would.

Between this main story and all of the side plotlines dealing with a religious cult, Frankenstein creations, and a very random sighting of Dr. Moreau, I was left confused about how all of this tied in with each other. I did like the interaction between the characters, Dooley and Constance. Even in perilous times, they could still have a humorous exchange.

I rated it 2.5 stars. You have to have some kind of context about the monsters to get the random sightings fully. Also, prepare for evil dooer monologues and sudden character introductions.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Constance and her assistant Dooley’s relationship and conversations in this volume. Constance is a vampire, which I love reading about and the illustrations are well done, with the right amount of humor in the story. This is a horror graphic novel for the older teens and adults out there, but worth the read if you like westerns, vampires, and just a fun graphic novel for an evening’s read. I also love the town in New Mexico that they move to and find out it is inhabited by various monsters. It’s actually a perfect town I think that Constance fits in just fine, being what she is. I also enjoyed the fact that Constance became a saloon owner too in the old west. That was amusing as with vampire stories they usually take place in an old European town or somewhere not the old west😉. And the end of volume one leaves you as the reader wondering if there is going to be more story or if it’s all done. Overall I quite enjoyed the graphic novel of West of Sundown and think that I would re-read it again when I have the time.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

West of Sundown Vol. 1: Out Beyond the Dusk and Dark by Tim Seeley is about the adventures of a vampire and her loyal assistant. Constance Der Abend loves her life in New York City. She feeds on the people who hurt others and she never has to go hungry, as the city is filled with evil socialites. However, she has to flee when a pair of ruthless monster slayers burn down her beloved home and cause her to be partially burned in the process. She decides to head back to her homeland to heal and restore her powers. She takes her loyal assistant, Dooley, with her.

As the pair journeys across the New Mexico desert, they try to adapt to their new surroundings. They arrive at the town of Sangre De Moro, where something seems amiss. It seems that Constance isn’t the only monster in town. Will Constance be able to heal herself before the monsters hiding in the shadows find her?

The artwork is beautifully done and enjoyable to look at. The story was interesting but confusing at times. During some parts, I had a hard time following along: Like why was Dooley standing in front of her grave in the beginning of the book? Was it tied to his father who mentions later in the book? When characters appeared, their backstory was given but it wasn’t always clearly narrated or it was confusing why the new character was mentioned.

Constance is a complicated character. She is seen as a selfish bloodthirsty vampire by others, but she seems to also care about the people around her. She also only feeds on evil and greedy socialites contrary to what the hunters believe of her feeding on the innocent. The graphic novel is action packed with a cliffhanger for a second book in the series. I am interested in reading more of her adventures with Dooley. If you like supernatural Western graphic novels, then you would enjoy this one.

[Kim Bartosch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give WEST OF SUNDOWN ⭐⭐⭐1/2!

A Penny Dreadful set in the wild west, WEST OF SUNDOWN brings vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstien's Monster to untamed parts of the Americas. But these aren't the classic monsters we remember from across the pond. They're mixed with the cultures and myths of North and South America.

What I liked.

The illustrations and layout are lively, They carry you effortlessly through the story and portray unique and delightfully gritty characters. My favorite character is Rosa who is still a mystery to me. The book explains her origin and how she became a vampire. But without giving away any spoilers, I still have questions about her origin and how she grew up. It piqued my interest enough to want to read and learn more.

What I didn't like.

While the comic is full of action the storyline often took too many twists and turns. Quite often, I had to reread or go back to make sure I knew why the setting changed or why new characters were introduced.

Overall, this grisly tale of the west kept me invested to the end and wondering: When will volume 2 be published? There is a giveaway until April 7th: https://www.kimsbookreviewsandwriting...

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading West of Sundown, Vol. 1. It's an omnibus of the first five issues, told in five chapters. The series' main character is Constance Der Abend, a female vampire. She is awakened from her coffin-bound slumber by Dooley O'Shaughnessy, an Irishman serving as a Union soldier during the Civil War. Dooley is mesmerized by Constance's beauty and becomes her devoted human companion. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

I'm a great lover of Hammer horror films, and there are several references to them in West of Sundown. Constance (also known as Ruby) has a complex, sinister origin narrative revelation throughout volume one, making her more than just your standard countess. There is a Dr. Frankenstein-like figure who I rather enjoyed, as well as a stitched-up monster that is a smart nod to Hammer. Together with the evil villains, there is a reverend cult leader.

Overall, West of Sundown, Vol. 1 is a comic book that is skillfully written and beautifully designed. (Or ought I to refer to it as a graphic novel?) Every horror enthusiast should check it out. ╌★★★★★

[Niche · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reminded me of the League of Extaordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 #4 by Moore, but without the pulp Rohmer racism and casual misogyny set in the western frontier. It features references and homages to a number of paranormal monsters, primarily focusing on a vampiress and her assistant (he fills the role of the archetypal thrall, but is more a loyal ally than servant or slave) as she is chased out of New York by hunters to the land of her re/birth requiring her native soil. Includes such homages and creatures as werewolves, vampires, chupacabras, Frankenstein's monster, and Dr. Moreau's animal-people.

I rather liked it, even if the hunter characters were kind of annoying. I found the leads fun and I'm always a sucker for depictions of M/F friendship without romance. I eyerolled and threw up my hands with the ending and wasn't particularly interested with the plot. But I did love the lead duo.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure why, but I got League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vibes from this. Creating a mythology of American monsters is an interesting experiment, and throwing together weird elements like Frankenstein, an Albino Mad Scientist and a Vampire in a small New Mexico Western town in the 19th Century is an effective horror-meets-weird-west scenario. Things get very weird indeed as the antagonist makes a mess of the town, our protagonists (definitely not heroes) get swept into strange environs, and there's a fairly epic climax that makes use of all the characters. The book subverts expectations several times, although all of the main creatures are true to their archetypes. The art is effective and evocative, and I loved the color usage, going heavy on the saturation and reds and purples. All told, I was pleasantly surprised by this and will be keeping an eye out for more.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

West of Sundown Vol. 1: Out Beyond the Dust N' Dark is a fun and entertaining graphic novel by Tim Seeley and Aaron Campbell. I was not sure what to think of it at first, but it grabbed my attention quickly. Jim Terry's illustrations were a perfect addition to the tale and his talent shines through all throughout. The horror within the pages made me want to keep turning the pages until I completely finished with the book in one sitting.
I am giving West of Sundown Vol. 1: Out Beyond the Dust N' Dark four stars. Fans of fantasy, monsters and graphic novels will want to grab this one up.
I received a paperback copy of West of Sundown Vol. 1: Out Beyond the Dust N' Dark from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the comic does make quite an effort to do honor to its description: American Vampire meets League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but there is a reason why Alan Moore is the celebrated writer that he is.

While the comic starts off strong, when focused on Constance and Dooley, it quickly loses steam when the other characters are introduced, such as Frankenstein's overly religious Monster and his homicidal companion Griffin (I am assuming this version's Invisible Man).

The development where they all eventually join forces, and various literary monsters and characters (such as Dr. Moreau) keep making appearances in an American border town in the middle of nowhere has been proven to not work in the past, and it doesn't work here.

It is not the worst read, but it doesn't really merit a second volume.

[Rick Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

First issue was strong, with great artwork, nice panel layouts and a compelling hook. The remaining issues were a drag to get through unfortunately. The interactions between Constance and Dooley were fun and I do wish we got more time spent developing their relationship as vampire and familiar, but the story felt bloated with side plots and unnecessary characters. The artwork does remain consistently strong throughout and was compelling enough to keep this book on my pull list for the first arc.

[Sue Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best covers out there! If that doesn't draw you in ..... I don't know what will. Fantastic graphic blow up of a very menacing gnarly face with awesome colouring just makes you itch to open the pages and find out the who, what, where and why!

Unfortunately the story doesn't come up to the hype of the cover, but it isn't a complete wash either. Nice to see a female bad-girl heroine for a change and it will be fun to follow the story as it gets published. Some interesting characters and it should get interesting where they'll take it to next.

[Scott Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really dug it. It played its cards close to its chest the first couple issues, I didn't realize it was a horror lit mash-up until Dirck entered the picture. That's what was cool about this, not much of its inspiration was on the nose and that's hard to do sometimes. Thought the plot was a bit rushed in the 5th issue, but that's probably the hardest thing not to do in any comic series and I enjoyed too much of the rest of it to hold it against it. Was glad to see a Volume 2 is available, looking forward to it.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and el Chupacabra meet in the American west.

So the interaction of all these monsters was cool. And I loved the fact that it was set in the old west. But I didn’t really connect with any of the characters.

Griffin and the Frankenstein monster were after miss Dracula and co. So why did they suddenly join forces?

And I didn’t really get the Chupacabra’s demise.

Fun if you like western horror, but the plot line was sometimes a little difficult.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The elevator pitch is the Universal Monsters set in the Old West. It's a bit more nuanced than that though. Yes, there is a vampire, but she's not Dracula. It's just some of the archetypes. A vampire, Frankenstein's monster, a mad scientist, etc. It's solid. I found the dialogue a bit wooden and the story overly complicated at times. Hopefully volume 2 will smooth both of those things out.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the other reviewers who say this one started out strong, but then started getting more muddled as the story progressed. This one throws a lot at the reader, and not all of it sticks. The illustrations were nicely done and full of truly creepy, shuddery moments.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself is vampires which do nothing for me usually, same with Westerns. This is more than that though, it has other monsters so much better. Really liked that it added more and more elements as it went on. Artwork is strong.

[Nicole Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Gothic horror western that is exceedingly fun but ultimately forgettable at this point. Still looking forward to more if more is written, it was a fun read.

[Jason]

Loved the characters, the plot was meh

[Conor Pickle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much potential, but really went off the rails

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not completely original at this point, this mashup still had some neat ideas and I'll be looking for the next volume.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but very mediocre. A solid 3/5- okay. It’s okay. Not much more to say. If you like vampires and gore, you’ll like this.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird Western with a lot of promise that just didn't quite work for me. I had high hopes for another Sixth Gun, but this one falls a bit short. Still, I liked it and would read more.

[Tristan Searle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling.