Redemption

by Christa Faust

The dusty desert town of Redemption survived the apocalypse but is hanging on by a thread. A despot rules the town with an iron fist and controls its most precious resource: water. When that strongman marks her mother for death, young Rose Obregon ventures into the perilous wasteland to seek the help of the legendary gunslinger Cat Tanner, only to discover that the so-called “Butcher” is long retired, living in solitude, far from what’s left of the world, and preferring to keep it that way. When Rose arrives on Tanner’s doorstep, with gunmen hot on her trail, the Butcher has a choice to make: sit on the sidelines or pick up her guns and do what she does best?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Westerns, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Adventure

128 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2022

About the author

Christa Faust is an American author who writes original novels, as well as novelizations and media tie-ins.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Western Slant on Mad Max

A grizzled female gunfighter is called out of retirement when an old lover is sentenced to hang. Deodato’s gritty art works perfectly here. I like how he modeled The Butcher after Linda Hamilton and the villain on Lance Hendrickson. Great stuff.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Christa Faust’s work, and when I saw that she recently released a post-apocalyptic western, I was excited to jump into it. The story, set in a gritty American wasteland where water is the number one commodity, looks at a young lady named Rose on a mission to save her mother from execution by the corrupt leader of the town of Redemption. Her efforts lead her to the reclusive and mysterious Cat Tanner, known everywhere as The Butcher, a former gunslinger for hire with a violent past and a reason for not wanting to get involved.



I really wish that the story was longer, as there’s enough world-building potential here to warrant an entire full-length series, but I was so impressed by how much Faust was able to cram into this book in just over 100 pages. There is a ton of well-done action, great twists, and plot developments that feel earned and work well for developing character. The art is suitably grungy and fits the mood. I especially loved the rendering of Cat Tanner in all her grizzled glory, showing us the sadness in her weathered face, and drawn as an older, more worn Linda Hamilton from Terminator 2.



The book is filled with intense action and great dialogue, never forgetting its Western influences, and giving us a sense of how dangerous the world is overall, with the lawlessness and the threat of cannibalism. And if Faust wants to explore this world more in the future, I’m all here for it, because I would really welcome seeing more stories with Cat Tanner.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this now two books I’ve read form Christa Faust. This one and Bad Mother. I ended up liking both. Here we have a post apocalyptic, futuristic western. Redemption is a walled off town ran by a preacher who is hoarding all the water. Water is a hot commodity in this story. Rose has her mother taken and thrown in jail and is set to be executed. Rose just can’t stand by and watch this happen. Does she dare go look for the person known as legend or myth, the Butcher, Cat Tanner? With no other options she goes off in search of this person. Like I said earlier, this was a pretty good story. This probably could have been epic if it was fleshed out to 12 issues but since it was 5 issues, certain parts did fell a tad bit rushed. Ahh well what are you gonna do? Deodado’s art works great over this apocalyptic back drop. Definitely worth checking out.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good post-apocalyptic western!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird says didn't review this when I swore I did. Either way it was a fun western, some nice twist with female characters getting revenge for wrong doings. The ending was a little abrupt and not as satisfying as I hoped but still intriguing none the less.

[A.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books I really loved for the first 3 issues, but completely lost me by the end. Basically a feminist Mad Max, with a lesbian love story at the heart of it. This was fine but Bad Mother is 100% Faust’s better Upshot book.

[Pranay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howdy!

What's better than a post-apocalyptic tale? A post apocalyptic western!
This is a fast paced story set in the future where water is the only currency and people are willing to kill for it. Mike Deodato does a great job drawing a classic western with half tone dots to give it retro look. The characters are beautifully drawn and distinct. The world is like a dry wasteland and has a gritty feel to it.

Christa Faust's plot is simple yet interesting and revolves around two women. One is an old, queer bad ass killer called the Butcher and the other a young, geeky girl who is out to save her mother from religious bigots who are going to execute her in a few days.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linda Hamilton fights Lance Henrikson.
The inevitable change from reticence to attack-mode was a little lame. Why wait so long.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a post apocalyptic world, the series Redemption is about a town just barely scraping by under the thumb of a iron fisted tyrant who controls the town's water supply.

Fueled by extremist religious and misogynist beliefs, said tyrant marks the local doctor for death for not knuckling under his rule. Rose, the woman's daughter, desperate to save her mother escapes the town to seek out the famed killer "The Butcher" somewhere in exile in the desert wasteland.

But the reality doesn't live up to the legend when the gunslinger Cat Tanner is found. She's retired from killing, content to live out her remaining days without adding any more names to her list. Rose begs Tanner to teach her to fight for herself (and by extension the town as a whole) but Cat is adamant. Life has other plans when the tyrant's henchman show up and Cat is faced with the decision to stay out of the fight or fight back as only "The Butcher" can.

Along the way, Rose learns the truth about her mother and Cat and the necessity of standing up for herself and others no matter the cost.

I have to say that for the most part, I really enjoyed the story and art with this collection of the original miniseries. Christa Faust tells a engrossing story and the art from Mike Deodato has such a realistic flair that you can almost feel the heat of the desert as you read the book.

I was just a tad let down by the final chapter of the story since I thought it went the expected route you'd think it would. I'd hoped there'd be a different kind of ending but that slight disappointment doesn't diminish the overall enjoyment I took from the series.

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the dialog was "Aren't you going to come and help me?" "No, I'm no hero". Now imagine that same conversation over and over again spread through this whole thing. Also, the townspeople turn on the bad guy at the end in an instant just because someone mentions that they should.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily one of the worst products of the year. The 'legendary hero' blinds a child for daring to protect his father, nonsensical modern politics infect every page, and all the main characters you're supposed to like are small narrow-minded bigots defined by nothing except sex.

[Lucas Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nice book, with a great duo doing the job. But, i believe Christa Faust just solved it all the mystery too fast. It looks like she has a lot more to say on the book.

Again, it's a nice story about vengeace and bad ass woman kicking some ass, with some great art. Deodato is a monster and to see Sarah Connor on Cat Tanner's face made my nerd inside very happy. But, if you're looking for something by Faust and Deodato Jr., go for Bad Mother. It's amazing.

[Nicole Geub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series of 5 collected comic issues. It's short it hits the spot and the main character is a lesbian. Loved the Mad Max-esque feel to it. Check this one out.

[Mark Metzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great little book. I'd love to see it as a movie with Linda Hamilton...

[Lucas Soc · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.9

[47Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is aiming to be a forward-thinking women vs neanderthal men battle, which is outright laughable, but I'll bite. Wait, was this thing written by a woman? Oh... Surely she doesn't have purple hair and tatoos. Hmm, she does... So the story features strong and independent women fighting the male patriarchy. It was released in 2021 when this movement was still a thing. A few characters resemble real-life actors, but you'll get a kick out of the main bad guy and his wall-building ways. Gee, I wonder who Christa voted for. The story is dripping with politics, so I have to rate it down, but the artwork is nice enough and the struggle is entertaining.

Inez Obregon is as progressive as they come. She is a strong and independent woman who performs an abortion on an underage woman who was raped in the town of Redemption. The ultra-conservative, right-wing, oppressive sheriff Gage and Lance Henriksen-lookalike priest Stonewater oppose the killing of a new member of the community they keep walled off from the outside world. Wait, wall? Who does that remind me of? Inez is sentenced to death for her deed. Her daughter Rose searches for the legendary Linda Hamilton-looking Cat Tanner nicknamed the Butcher to help free her mother and liberate the town from its patriarchal fascists. And of course she finds her in 2 swift pages. Even better, Cat kills the search party send after Rose. It's a 5v1 gunfight, so it's clearly in Cat's favor.

News of Rose maybe getting to Cat reaches Redemption. Stonewater sends the big guns after them. Just like a neanderthal, use a bigger club. Pathetic. Don't they know they face strong, independent women? Even better, these women don't need men when they have each other. Cat was Inez's lover years before. But anyway, the second group led by Gage is also killed by Cat and a newly-trained Rose. Dag, these women sure are strong and independent.

After finally realizing he is a lowly man in a story about strong and independent women, Stonewater hires Lexi, another strong and independent woman who used to work with Cat. She betrayed Cat during a water heist and caused her gun to malfunction - that's how Cat lost her shootin' hand and had to get a mechanical replacement.

Cat refuses to be a hero, so Rose heads out on her own. She gets captured, of course, because Cat is supposed to be the hero. She shows up one full minute before Inez and Rose are scheduled to be hanged. She kills Lexi, but gets a gut shot, then starts shooting up the rest of Stonewater's followers. Yes, all of them at the same time, because she is a strong and independent woman. Those men stand no chance. She kills Stonewater with her bare hands, like the wall-building, pro-life, ultra-maga, close-minded, isolationistic, pro-P#tin bastard deserves. Oops... got carried away there... Then she dies in Inez's arms as the townfolk celebrate with the free underground water.

[Chris Tower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Mike Deodato Jr. and his murky art, but now Christa Faust is one of my new favorite writers.

This story flips all the tropes on their head.

Let me just say this as an incentive to read it: Aged queer woman gunslinger in a post-apocalytpic Western.

yes, please.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad ass apocalyptic tale from bad ass Christa Faust and art by Mike Deodata. Can't complain about this very visual comic. Well told story, solid characters.

[Stoffia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce comic est un western post-apocalyptique qui se prend un peu trop au sérieux pour les caricatures qu'il met en place. On y suit une docteure emprisonnée pour avoir avorté une adolescente violée. Tout ça dans un village dirigé par des hommes qui tentent de construire un mur pour se protéger des étrangers.

S'ensuit une escapade dans le désert et une suite de péripéties qui font qu'on ne s'ennuie pas. Mais on n'est jamais réellement surpris ou emporté par l'histoire non plus.