Moonshine, Vol. 4: Angel's Share

Moonshine

by Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso (Artist)

Lou Pirlo escaped the zombie-filled bayou of New Orleans only to land down on his luck in Cleveland—living in a shanty town known as “Kingsbury Run,” which just happens to be where the very first serial killer in the US is hunting, and none other than the great Eliot Ness is on his trail. Meanwhile, Tempest has finagled her way into the heart of Lou’s old gang in NYC, searching for her lost father, Hiram. Werewolves, G-Men, serial killers, mobsters…what more can you ask for? Collects MOONSHINE #18-22

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Fiction

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2020

About the author

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).

In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.

As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.

information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...

Reviews

[Whitney Jamimah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series hasn’t really made me stoked from the beginning though the premise is really awesome.

I bought volume 1 and 2 in a hard copy and I wasn’t going to continue at all until I found the beauty that is Hoopla so I was like, ok I’ll finish what is out of Moonshine for free. Now that I have consumed what is out though I don’t plan to read any further volumes that come out in the future.

I typically like noir and books written in the same vein as Moonshine but I just didn’t really connect with the characters, Lou is a fricken idiot and I don’t have any real sympathy for him so I’m not going to spend more energy on this series but I can definitely see why others would love this run.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Review is for the all five volumes of the series to date

The horror never really blends with the crime, appearing hear and there as afterthoughts to and distractions from the main tale. Combine that with an unnecessary and odd tangent into voodoo that was wholly unnecessary and you have an ultimately disappointing run.

[Dávid Novotný · Rating 3 out of 5]

So two main story paths are more clear now. We have fight with inner demon and vengeance with interesting twist. But still, there are some jumps, that are not clear at first and you must figure it by yourself. Also to distinguish characters is sometimes pain in the a*s

I have mixed feelings about the constant ups and downs, so I'll see after final volume where the series stands. It will probably need re-read to enjoy it at full.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟more of that Boardwalk Empires goodness with some werewolf action to tear shit up. Eduardo Russo is doing solid work as always.

[cloverina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Sorry y'all, I can't really accurately rate this because I've kind of checked out of the story. I'm in it solely for completion and Risso at this point.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
Yeah, you kinda feel like they're coasting at this point. Probably could have been wrapped up this volume, without the additional six issue arc to follow. That and Risso really looked like he was rushing a few issues and covers towards the end. Whether this was due to additional time constraints or not quite giving it his all, I don't know. But there is still more than enough here to keep me interested, given that I've been rather starved for some good noir of late. That and Risso on an off day still lays waste to most everyone else out there. Good, but not great. 3.75/5


OmniBen.

[Octavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

El dibujo impecable, pero el guión, pese a gustarme mucho, tiende a empantanarse. Si acaba en este tomo parece claro que lo han cancelado, porque al final pone “The end” pero las tramas siguen abiertas...

[Bill Coffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite its intriguing premise (werewolves complicate a Prohibition-era moonshining racket) and powerhouse creatives (Azzarello and Risso), Moonshine never really lives up to its potential. Risso's artwork is amazing as usual, but Azzarello's script is unfocused and meandering, filled with characters that never really develop or make us care much about their outcomes. Each volume in the series so far (up to Vol. 4) feels neither self-contained enough to work well on its own, nor do they sufficiently advance the meta-plot. One imagines this series might not have much of a plan to it. What a shame, too.

[Imogene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little confusing tbh. I’m glad that I read it all in one rather than issue by issue.
A few interesting surprises, but felt a bit like filler. Hopefully it’s gearing up for a fine finale

[Lucas Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirlo is in Cleveland, running and trying to survive, after the Mambo Jambo that happened in New Orleans and Tempest is in NYC, to get revenge for her family.

I just love how Azzarello and Risso brings a lot of America throughout the prohibition in it cities. We got the infamous Eliot Ness on this one and, the main thing for me on this one, was the develop of Tempest as a character. She's on a revenge agenda, but, for the first time of her life, her life has value to something, to someone. She has all the power on the city. Great book.

[Chris Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I skipped the last volume by mistake, so I was a little confused with this one at first. I found myself enjoying it once I got into the rhythm of the story. Lou is drinking his life away so he doesn’t remember what he does as a werewolf. Tempest, meanwhile, is seeking revenge on the gangsters who attacked her family. Her story grows interesting as she takes on a Lady Macbeth role. Very good conclusion makes me curious for more.

[Sonic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinematic story telling that is leagues beyond much cinema!

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una pena que esta elipsis TAN bruta del arco argumental en Louisiana con Delia y el voodoo a estar ya en la ciudad en un momento de gran polvorín por parte de las fuerzas mafiosas, el ascenso de Eliot Ness y un terrible asesino de la clase más baja de la sociedad, se sienta TAN precipitada. Y eso que Brian Azzarello ya empieza a entrecruzar nuevamente los caminos de Lou y, sobre todo, Tempest. Quien en su misión asesina de venganza, decide degustar mejor las mieles de la fama y el poder pasando a ser la "querida" del Jefe mafioso que la ve como una inocente "corderita" que agasajar y encaminar a una carrera musical y de espectáculo aprovechando su viva voz. Pero la ciudad empieza a resonar más con los gritos de los moribundos y los disparos de ambos lados de la ley. Eduardo Risso sigue magnífico en cada página y viñeta en la que los claroscuros y sombras dominan la ambientación hiper noir clásica. Y los detalles sobrenaturales aunque hiper contados, también están al servicio de este ámbito como esa forma más insaciable de Tempest amenazando con devorar de forma no sexual a ese ingenuo capo mafioso en el post coito.

El 4º volumen de MOONSHINE parece tener claro que no puede volver a forzar la maquinaría como aquí, y el próximo recopilatorio cuanto menos ya deja claro que los licántropos tomarán parte activa en las tramas mafiosas y policiales en la gran ciudad.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

My enjoyment of every volume after the first in this series has been waning at an increasing rate. I think part of what worked in the first volume was that I didn't care about the characters, but it still felt interesting to see what happened. But as the series has continued, it has been all about the drama of the characters and some level of investment in all of their problems. It just isn't working for me, so I doubt I'll read any further. In fact, after volume three I only read this one because I already had it checked out from the library and knew it would go quickly.

The thing that I find most off-putting about this story is how quickly it jumped scene. Up to now, there had been a fairly steady progression: we start with Lou sent on a job to Appalachia (volume 1). Things fall apart and he flees towards New Orleans on Delia's advice to try to deal with his werewolf problem, but has troubles along the way (volume 2). Having arrived in New Orleans, he has various misadventures (volume 3). But now he's suddenly in a shanty town in Cleveland getting drunk with bums? How did that happen and why? His relationship with Delia was rocky, so him taking off is easy to imagine, but it still feels like a sudden and arbitrary change of scene.

[Yoshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

PopKulturowy Kociołek:

Pierwszy tom serii niczym wysokoprocentowy alkohol bardzo mocno uderzył w zmysły czytelnika. Kiedy pierwsza dawka wyrazistych doznań opadła, zaczęliśmy w pełni czerpać przyjemność z serwowanego popkulturowego trunku (tomy dwa i trzy). Nic w tej kwestii nie zmienia się, jeśli chodzi o recenzowany czwarty album. Brian Azzarello bowiem kolejny raz dostarcza czytelnikowi porcji komiksowej rozrywki, której naprawdę trudno jest się oprzeć. Śledząc losy Lou i Tempest, przeskakując pomiędzy miejscami akcji, nie mamy tu nawet sekundy na nudę. Scenariusz nie jest jednak nazbyt przeładowany akcją i poświęca on odpowiednią ilość miejsca do lepszego zaprezentowania bohaterów czy rozwinięcia innych wątków.

Sama historia nie jest jednak nadmiernie „głęboka” i nie należy tego od niej oczekiwać. Tym, co w niej najbardziej zachwyca, jest fakt, że kompletnie nie wiemy, w jakim kierunku się ona potoczy. Każde z obserwowanych wydarzeń zostało skonstruowane w taki sposób, że trudno jest przewidzieć ich konsekwencje, więc z jeszcze większą ciekawością sięga się po kolejny tom, odkrywając przy okazji niezwykły świat i jego tajemnice.

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/recen...

[The_Mad_Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having escaped the New Orleans Bayou and Jean-Baptiste in Rue Le Jour , Lou Pirlo continues his downward journey and his transformation from gangster to werewolf. This volume finds him in the shanty town Kingsbury Run in Cleveland, where a string of beastly murders are being committed – but by whom? Lou runs into old acquaintances from his (recent) gangster days, who are less than happy to see him, and who seem to know things about the murders, which have also attracted the attention of Eliot Ness, the man who boasts he put Capone behind bars.

Meanwhile, in New York, Tempest Holt is getting closer to Lou's old boss, Joe the Boss, and perhaps also to knowing the fate of her adopted father Hiram, and avenge him.

It is another fine instalment, and I am more and more looking forward to seeing how Lou's and Tempest's story lines will eventually (and inevitably) cross again properly.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the previous volumes, this is a quick read other than I have to look backwards at times because the scenes change so rapidly and can jump so much that it's a bit hard for me tell what's going on. The more volumes I read, the more I like Lou, the main character - a handsome gangster accustomed to using his tongue who now has acquired a curse that turns him into a monster. He's haunted by ghosts - literally! - using his more earthly vices to control the beast. I would really like a deeper dive into Lou's character rather than speeding between scenes. Tempest is turning into an interesting character as well as she comes to the big city for revenge. My rating is 4 stars for an over the top read that could be so much more.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lou Pirlo is cursed to be a werewolf during Prohibition, and as a gangster, well, that's a problem when he's caught between the moonshiners his mob boss sent him to deal with and that self-same boss. And while he's hiding out in Cleveland about the same time Eliot Ness is there looking for the Cleveland Torso killer (subject of a good Brian Michael Bendis mini-series he did before Marvel hired him). Meanwhile, that moonshiner's shifty daughter Tempest, also a werewolf looking for revenge against Lou's boss, has moved to New York to become a torch singer and then the boss's mistress. It's more good, but not great, horror/noir crime stuff from the creative team behind 100 Bullets.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite volume to date. Lou is maybe at his lowest as he's living on the streets in prohibition-era Cleveland. He runs into an old friend and meets some new foes. Tempest is back and she shines. She is my favorite character in the book and I hope we continue to see more of her. I can wait for all the pieces to come back together. The pacing felt a little rushed here especially with the Butcher storyline. Overall, another very good horror book.

[Alex Sarll]

The story of werewolves and Prohibition is now fully relocated from the backwoods to the big city (OK, and Cleveland), with Eliot Ness on the scene, and the characters set to play a part in an unsavoury incident from American history. As if there's any other sort in Azzarello/Risso comics. But Risso has such a gift for rendering noir and neon, mobsters and molls, that the story was very much a secondary attraction for me here.

[Nuno Ferreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estive a ler o quarto volume de Moonshine, “Embarrilado”, de Brian Azzarello e Eduardo Risso e publicado em Portugal pela G Floy Studio. A série que mistura gangsters e lobisomens continua muito boa e gostei bastante deste volume, ainda que tenha sido mais calmo. A forma como os autores conseguem manter o charme é incrível e o foco na cidade agradou-me particularmente.

https://noticiasdezallar.wordpress.com

[Robert Hudder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did this series a disservice in that I read some reviews of the whole series. While I don't agree with many of them, there is a lack of focus in this series. If it had been more honest about the central themes of the series, then maybe there would be a better reception.

In some ways, it reminds me of a few arcs from hellboy that were trying too hard. I think this series suffers from trying to do too much. Still, I enjoyed it.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

More gangster/ werewolf action during the Prohibition, engaging stuff.

This is a review of issues 18 to 21 only. The comic series takes place during Prohibition in the U.S. bringing together gangsters, werewolves and Elliot Ness. There’s plenty of action and smooth talking as we meet some new characters such as Tempest, a sultry songstress. It’s good stuff and engaging.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, giving this the series average of 4 stars, but there's an asterisk. There is a point near mid-read where it almost lost me. I'm not sure what was off with that part for me, but if you start to feeling a bit bored know that it picks back up and is a little above board for the rest of the book.

[Emmanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting twists and Risso’s art is still a perfect match for this story, but it is losing speed. The next TP is the conclusion, which is good. It’s too bad that it lost some steam along the way, because I really enjoyed the first two volumes.

[Oli Turner]

More glorious work from brian azzarello and eduardo risso. 1929 gangster werewolf vs serial killer. Such inventive work from eduardo Risso with tremendous style and use of colours/lighting. The writing is so lyrical it almost benefits from being read aloud

[Shannon Green-Kingery · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Moonshine" graphic series by Azzarello and Risso is my new dark phantasy fix. Both the storylines and the artwork are top-notch. I can't stop turning the pages. I hope there are many more to come:)

[Trike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal, bloody and altogether brilliant.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still really enjoying this series. I felt a bit lost when I was reading it, but I've read a lot of comics since the last volume. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is more like it. This was back to what i want this series to be. Cool gangster vibes intertwining with the underlying, and outright full on, horror.