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Shaolin Cowboy: Cruel to Be Kin
In order to keep a newborn Komodo dragon from joining the endangered species list, the Shaolin Cowboy must first make him an orphan and then adopt him into the ways of the “Intercepting fist” to keep their road trip from turning into roadkill.
When social distancing isn’t enough, the Cowboy has plenty of booster shots and jabs to keep a new army of foes, both new and old, from turning the situation from ugly, to bad, and no good.
“If Sergio Leone, Tsui Hark, Stephen Chow, and Sam Raimi could somehow have a child together and then disavow it, this book would be it...maybe.”—Geof Darrow
• Dave Stewart
• Mark Sweeney, Raunak Singh, Fred Paculba, and Josh Laird
• Nate Piekos
• Daniel Chabon
•Assistant Chuck Howitt and Jay Olinger
• Teresa Gresham
Collects Shaolin Cruel to be Kin #1–#7.
When social distancing isn’t enough, the Cowboy has plenty of booster shots and jabs to keep a new army of foes, both new and old, from turning the situation from ugly, to bad, and no good.
“If Sergio Leone, Tsui Hark, Stephen Chow, and Sam Raimi could somehow have a child together and then disavow it, this book would be it...maybe.”—Geof Darrow
• Dave Stewart
• Mark Sweeney, Raunak Singh, Fred Paculba, and Josh Laird
• Nate Piekos
• Daniel Chabon
•Assistant Chuck Howitt and Jay Olinger
• Teresa Gresham
Collects Shaolin Cruel to be Kin #1–#7.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published August 8, 2023
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 8, 2023
Another Shaolin Cowboy volume which means we get another 100+ pages of beautiful Darrow artwork. The story is a bit dull, although it gives Darrow a reason to draw a ton of cool stuff. The colors rely on browns too much.
At this point I'd take Darrow drawing literally anything else besides more Shaolin Cowboy. Please move on from this franchise.
At this point I'd take Darrow drawing literally anything else besides more Shaolin Cowboy. Please move on from this franchise.
January 20, 2024
The amazing detailed art is the real attraction here..and you need to linger to find the rabbit on the car...the details you would miss..
The story is ultra violent (11 at least) and it's better if you just go along for the ride..
The story is ultra violent (11 at least) and it's better if you just go along for the ride..
November 3, 2023
Best one yet. 200 pages of jaw-dropping art, dystopian weirdness, epic fight scenes, and terrible puns.
December 8, 2025
This was my first chance to experience Geof Darrow.
I knew of him, mainly from years of reading comics, and his involvement in The Matrix series.
I saw this volume at my local library, flipped through the pages and was awe-struck.
Let me state this unambiguously: Darrow's pencils are incredible. Ever panel is so rich that it feels like a full two-page splash.
There is quite simply nothing like it.
And...then there is the story.
To call this wild would be unfair. It's akin to Grant Morrison when the editors are too scared to challenge them.
It's so gonzo that I needed to pause and re-read sections. It's deliciously manic and gleefully juvenile.
And it's really quite good.
The story, what little of it there is, is little more than an excuse for ser-pieces that Darrow wanted to draw.
And it's well worth your time. Go find a copy and treat yourself too.
I knew of him, mainly from years of reading comics, and his involvement in The Matrix series.
I saw this volume at my local library, flipped through the pages and was awe-struck.
Let me state this unambiguously: Darrow's pencils are incredible. Ever panel is so rich that it feels like a full two-page splash.
There is quite simply nothing like it.
And...then there is the story.
To call this wild would be unfair. It's akin to Grant Morrison when the editors are too scared to challenge them.
It's so gonzo that I needed to pause and re-read sections. It's deliciously manic and gleefully juvenile.
And it's really quite good.
The story, what little of it there is, is little more than an excuse for ser-pieces that Darrow wanted to draw.
And it's well worth your time. Go find a copy and treat yourself too.
October 5, 2023
Great on kindle, zoom for the win!
It is so much fun reading this work. The pages are super saturated with detail, there is so much going on every page, like an adult version of Where's Waldo! The writing is great with wordplay and puns visually and in speech. Wow!
It is so much fun reading this work. The pages are super saturated with detail, there is so much going on every page, like an adult version of Where's Waldo! The writing is great with wordplay and puns visually and in speech. Wow!
September 27, 2023
Originally picked this up in single issues, but given that this reads like a series of prolonged fight sequences with only brief moments of reprieve, I figured it would make for a different reading experience in a collection. While I didn't really find that my opinion changed much, I did feel like I picked up on more on a second reading. Darrow's artwork is brutally dense - it's basically begging the readers to play "Where's Waldo?" with every page and "Cruel to be Kin" may be Darrow's most rigorously drawn entry to the series yet.
Though despite the excess in the details, "Cruel to be Kin" is kinetic from start to finish. Ignore the hacky dialogue of course, that isn't Darrow's forte by any means. Instead, follow along as Shaolin Cowboy unleashes fury upon a flock of birds, a giant flightless and featherless chicken, a sentient land-based jellyfish and an army of Neo-Nazis. There isn't much downtime here, this comic just moves from one sequence to the next with a haphazard justifications to get the reader there. A sequence where SC engages in some gun-fu against the room full of alt-right militants might be one of the most visceral action sequences ever committed to comic page.
Darrow's Shaolin Cowboy always leaned on a slapstick style of humor, but both "Who'll Stop the Reign?" and "Cruel to be Kin" attempt some political jokes that do feel easily dated. The writing in this series has never been sharp, but something about "Cruel to be Kin" seems particularly sloppy. The only reason I went with four stars over three comes down to the sheer imagination bump this series went through. The sequences in "Cruel to be Kin" might be Darrow's best artistic work yet. Though I've never been sold on Dave Stewart's work coloring in Darrow's dense linework, he does improve over his work in the previous entries here. But I contend that this series would definitely look better in black & white.
Though despite the excess in the details, "Cruel to be Kin" is kinetic from start to finish. Ignore the hacky dialogue of course, that isn't Darrow's forte by any means. Instead, follow along as Shaolin Cowboy unleashes fury upon a flock of birds, a giant flightless and featherless chicken, a sentient land-based jellyfish and an army of Neo-Nazis. There isn't much downtime here, this comic just moves from one sequence to the next with a haphazard justifications to get the reader there. A sequence where SC engages in some gun-fu against the room full of alt-right militants might be one of the most visceral action sequences ever committed to comic page.
Darrow's Shaolin Cowboy always leaned on a slapstick style of humor, but both "Who'll Stop the Reign?" and "Cruel to be Kin" attempt some political jokes that do feel easily dated. The writing in this series has never been sharp, but something about "Cruel to be Kin" seems particularly sloppy. The only reason I went with four stars over three comes down to the sheer imagination bump this series went through. The sequences in "Cruel to be Kin" might be Darrow's best artistic work yet. Though I've never been sold on Dave Stewart's work coloring in Darrow's dense linework, he does improve over his work in the previous entries here. But I contend that this series would definitely look better in black & white.
October 18, 2023
The last time a read a Shaolin Cowboy book, I think it was on an iPad and I just zoomed through it. There isn’t much of a narrative; just a string of violent battles. This time I had an oversized hardcover and enjoyed it much more, spending time to pore over the details. Each frame is a snapshot of chaos. Discarded cans, cigarette butts and dazed animals cover the ground in every panel, regardless of whether the setting is a desert or a city. The protagonist seems to live in a post-apocalyptic America where Trump, sex, guns, and fascist symbols smother the landscape. From what I’ve read, the Shaolin Cowboy books keep getting better, and I’m keen to track down a hardcover of the previous volume, which is referenced a few times within this.
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.
September 9, 2023
The first 3 issues are pretty good, some of the best SC. Light on unfunny dialogue and heavy on the style of fight that has carried the series.
The last 4 issues were of lower quality. Darrow thought it a good idea to try writing more dialogue, which should be promptly skipped. There might have been some political undertones, which if the drawn gags are to go by, was as dry as the rest of the writing. The fights in them were more Cowboy, than Shaolin, and the epilogue was a wall of text, so you can assume it was of low quality.
The last 4 issues were of lower quality. Darrow thought it a good idea to try writing more dialogue, which should be promptly skipped. There might have been some political undertones, which if the drawn gags are to go by, was as dry as the rest of the writing. The fights in them were more Cowboy, than Shaolin, and the epilogue was a wall of text, so you can assume it was of low quality.
October 7, 2023
This is one of the best books written and/or drawn. Wow! I wish I could give it six stars.
November 8, 2023
Just excellent. How on Earth does he find the time to draw like that?!
November 20, 2023
Art and detail to make your eyes bleed
March 1, 2024
My eyes are bleeding.
January 20, 2025
Amazing art, not a fan of the story.
April 19, 2025
best art in a book ive ever seen
December 22, 2024
Had to swipe this on up cause I couldn’t miss anymore self delayed opportunities to see the magnificent artistic decision in this massive open world fable. Anything is possible. Imaginations’ expectations are shattered.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews