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Death Be Damned
Outlaws killed Miranda Coler and her family, but Miranda can't die until she exacts her revenge in this unflinching Western with a supernatural twist.
Miranda Coler lived an unassuming frontier life before her husband and child were killed in front of her, she herself left for dead. Little did the killers know that Miranda is cursed, unable to die until she exacts vengeance against those who have wronged her...
Written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, the creative masterminds behind the smash hit The Thrilling Adventure Hour, and Andrew Miller, creator of the CW's The Secret Circle , with gorgeous illustrations by Hannah Christenson ( Jim Henson’s The Dragons, Harrow County ), Death Be Damned is an unflinching Western with a supernatural twist that explores the toll one takes while on a quest for revenge.
Miranda Coler lived an unassuming frontier life before her husband and child were killed in front of her, she herself left for dead. Little did the killers know that Miranda is cursed, unable to die until she exacts vengeance against those who have wronged her...
Written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, the creative masterminds behind the smash hit The Thrilling Adventure Hour, and Andrew Miller, creator of the CW's The Secret Circle , with gorgeous illustrations by Hannah Christenson ( Jim Henson’s The Dragons, Harrow County ), Death Be Damned is an unflinching Western with a supernatural twist that explores the toll one takes while on a quest for revenge.
112 pages, Paperback
Published November 21, 2017
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 24, 2018
Y’know when I saw the negative ratings for this I thought that it’s not important, I have an unpopular opinion a lot of the time. Not this time.
What’s it about?
After a woman’s family is killed, she tries getting revenge and then gets shot. Thing she discovers is, she keeps coming back from the dead. So even though she might get killed several times, she’s gonna get some vengeance.
Pros:
I really like the idea of the story, being a weird, supernatural western. I’m a huge fan of supernatural horror as most of my followers have figured out I’m sure and though I don’t read piles of the genre (mostly due to lack of interesting modern westerns in the comics medium, at least from what I’ve seen) I really enjoy westerns so mixing them in this story is pretty damn cool.
The horror elements of this book are pretty cool. It is often weird and gory!
Cons:
This book despite being interesting is poorly written. Mostly between the dialogue, the rushed everything and some other problems I’m gonna get to in a bit in this review, it is so poorly executed.
The art is so horrible. Everything, the way it’s drawn is so ugly throughout.
(See what I mean?)
The characters are so bland. Everyone is pretty much character A, character B, character C, etc.
Despite being a unique and often weird story, it’s still predictable which in a strange way is actually kinda surprising when you think about it. Maybe that’s the twist?
The action scenes are meh. Normally action scenes at least seem exciting but here they just don’t seem exciting. I don’t know why but they seem like it’s just a part of the book that doesn’t take as much time to read.
The ending is anti-climactic. One of those endings where something happens and then you turn the page thinking “Huh? That’s it? This doesn’t even seem like an ending.” I would say maybe it’s a set up for volume 2 except the main conflict is done and I’m pretty sure this is a miniseries so… yeah. I think it’s mostly a result of the rushed writing I mentioned before.
Overall:
This could have been a cool story but it is so poorly executed.
The story is cool and the horror elements are well done, nothing else is though.
2/5
What’s it about?
After a woman’s family is killed, she tries getting revenge and then gets shot. Thing she discovers is, she keeps coming back from the dead. So even though she might get killed several times, she’s gonna get some vengeance.
Pros:
I really like the idea of the story, being a weird, supernatural western. I’m a huge fan of supernatural horror as most of my followers have figured out I’m sure and though I don’t read piles of the genre (mostly due to lack of interesting modern westerns in the comics medium, at least from what I’ve seen) I really enjoy westerns so mixing them in this story is pretty damn cool.
The horror elements of this book are pretty cool. It is often weird and gory!
Cons:
This book despite being interesting is poorly written. Mostly between the dialogue, the rushed everything and some other problems I’m gonna get to in a bit in this review, it is so poorly executed.
The art is so horrible. Everything, the way it’s drawn is so ugly throughout.
(See what I mean?)
The characters are so bland. Everyone is pretty much character A, character B, character C, etc.
Despite being a unique and often weird story, it’s still predictable which in a strange way is actually kinda surprising when you think about it. Maybe that’s the twist?
The action scenes are meh. Normally action scenes at least seem exciting but here they just don’t seem exciting. I don’t know why but they seem like it’s just a part of the book that doesn’t take as much time to read.
The ending is anti-climactic. One of those endings where something happens and then you turn the page thinking “Huh? That’s it? This doesn’t even seem like an ending.” I would say maybe it’s a set up for volume 2 except the main conflict is done and I’m pretty sure this is a miniseries so… yeah. I think it’s mostly a result of the rushed writing I mentioned before.
Overall:
This could have been a cool story but it is so poorly executed.
The story is cool and the horror elements are well done, nothing else is though.
2/5
January 13, 2019
The story is a confusing mess. It's not clear what is going in any scene, and the dialogue is poorly written. The art is also poor. In particular, there are action sequences that don't make sense because what is shown in one panel sometimes doesn't match up with what appears in the next panel.
July 30, 2017
I expected a lot more from this when I read the premise and the end was just really flat to me. pretty boring tbh. wouldn't recommend.
April 13, 2019
It was too rushed, it could be better like 5 or 6 issues story, but in the end, it was not that bad. I mean, honestly, I do not understand all those one-star ratings. It was definitely an interesting idea of the story, the artwork was quite weird and ugly but as I was reading, I said to myself it fits it kinda. And after all those shits I've read today, I can't go lower than 3 stars. This at least did not bore me.
May 22, 2020
why didn't i look this up on GR before i read it!?
June 29, 2018
This comic was a bit meh for me. It had so much potential and combines supernatural (which I love) with Westerns (which I tolerate), but the storyline is ultimately unsatisfying.
January 10, 2021
1.5
Death be Damned was my first Boom Studio comic series I purchased and it remained unread as my collection ballooned. I have now decided to read some of my back catalogue and this was right up the front.
Why the 1.5?
The graphic novel medium is not in short demand and Boom Studio is relatively new to the indie scene. They have found their niche in the market during these last few years by bringing in high class talent. Sadly I've found their earlier stories were misses and Death be Canned is in that group. It's a mess of ideas with no character and short story. If I had seen the reviews here I may have avoided this series. Nice artwork during the deaths but nothing else sadly.
Death be Damned was my first Boom Studio comic series I purchased and it remained unread as my collection ballooned. I have now decided to read some of my back catalogue and this was right up the front.
Why the 1.5?
The graphic novel medium is not in short demand and Boom Studio is relatively new to the indie scene. They have found their niche in the market during these last few years by bringing in high class talent. Sadly I've found their earlier stories were misses and Death be Canned is in that group. It's a mess of ideas with no character and short story. If I had seen the reviews here I may have avoided this series. Nice artwork during the deaths but nothing else sadly.
December 24, 2018
A weird one. I was sold on it from the quotes on the front, from Jim Beaver, Garrett Dillahunt, and nerd royalty Nathan Fillion. The premise is also really cool.
Quick review: the writing is excellent and really captures the 'Old West's feel and poetry. The art, though weird at first, really grew on me. The ending felt rushed however and it really could have benefitted from 5 or 6 issues instead of 4.
Quick review: the writing is excellent and really captures the 'Old West's feel and poetry. The art, though weird at first, really grew on me. The ending felt rushed however and it really could have benefitted from 5 or 6 issues instead of 4.
January 13, 2023
Ben Acker and Ben Blacker came on the scene a few years ago after their podcast The Thrilling Adventure Hour blew up. They are Hollywood writers who got an opportunity in comics when they get some buzz. Unfortunately, that buzz has never translated for me. This is poorly written. It's set in the Old West and is about a woman whose family was murdered and seeks vengeance. All good so far, it's the execution and poor dialogue where this fails. When she is killed, she returns from the dead. When she returns the first time, she's confronted by an undertaker who is trying to bring his life back from the dead. There's also a zombie running around and I'm not sure what its purpose is. The scenes where she's dead seem like a complete waste because they add nothing to the short story that drags on as if it's many more issues than just 4. As the story goes along, it makes less and less sense. It's also not helped by the horrendous artwork.
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October 8, 2025Eh. Love the writing of Acker and Blacker, glad they got to write a spooky Western given their enjoyment of writing spooky things and Western things, but not a story that worked for me in comic form. I've found I generally don't enjoy serious comics as much, so I think that's a big part of it. As I was reading, I could hear this as an audio drama or live stage show and it clicked more in those moments for me (at least partly because I could hear the Felton of it all in the overwritten old West dialogue). I can hear the humor in the words, but I couldn't see it in the art.
January 19, 2020
Her family may have been murdered, but it seems she’s unable to die until she has her revenge.
This straight-forward revenge plot is improved with the addition of the undertaker who is trying to bring his wife back from the dead. Motivations are simple, but the story is entertaining.
The art is effective, if not particularly lovely. It’s rough elements and color palette match the stark setting of the old west and the grim elements of the story.
This straight-forward revenge plot is improved with the addition of the undertaker who is trying to bring his wife back from the dead. Motivations are simple, but the story is entertaining.
The art is effective, if not particularly lovely. It’s rough elements and color palette match the stark setting of the old west and the grim elements of the story.
December 1, 2025
I thought it was an interesting idea but it wasn't for me. the writing wasn't that great. the characters weren't likeable and there was no background behind where she was when her family was killed in the first place. she just wants vengeance and keeps coming back to life after dying but it's frustrating since nothing really seems to change.
June 21, 2018
Bad,bad,bad
October 30, 2019
Meh. It was ok.
November 9, 2019
Definitely the goriest book I've read from Boom, but beautiful colors and an interesting mythology.
April 5, 2020
The original artwork makes up for the weak storyline overall, but that ending. Talk about dissappointment...
April 19, 2020
Great premise, disappointing execution. The writing was uninspired and the art was mediocre at best. I expect better from Acker and Blacker.
October 4, 2021
waste of time. utterly disappointed. sighs
June 30, 2022
The art was really good but the story itself just didn't click for me. There was something I just didn't understand and now it's nagging me which is annoying. Reminds me alot of kill bill as well.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews