Gordon Robertson from ComicBuzz says 'you won’t forget your first visit to the dark, unsettling world of Harbor Moon.' It's a great review, and definitely points out some of our weak spots (being able to tell main characters apart).
"Much traditional horror comes from the fear of intrusion. A settled, sedate village is shaken by the appearance of a stranger, someone they don’t know, and whose presence threatens to disrupt their placid existence. Vampires and werewolves find their prey amongst the buxom wenches of the superstitious hamlets, easy pickings for the bloodthirsty predator.
Or at least they did back in the days of Hammer. These days, more and more, this idea is being turned on its head. These places, hidden from view, may still be as superstitious as ever, but they are villages now populated by entire communities of those very creatures who used to prey on the innocent.
Whether vampires or werewolves, they choose to isolate themselves, fearful of persecution. They hide so they can live out their existence in peace and in isolation. Just such a community is the village of Harbor Moon.
That threat of the outsider still exists, but now it brings with it fear of discovery. Fear of the almost certain destruction of their way of life.
A stranger appears in the village. His name is Timothy Vance and he is looking for his father, Andrew Callaghan. At first no one has heard of him, but of course, it isn’t as straight forward as that. Further investigation brings at first hostility, then warnings, then violence and then something more, something altogether darker. Perhaps Timothy is not quite the stranger that everyone thinks he is.
It’s perhaps a familiar premise, but writers Ryan Colucci and Dikran Ornekian tell it well, and still manage to bring something new to it. It’s a deftly told tale and keeps you turning the pages as you never are quite sure where the storytelling is taking you. It’s a tribute to his skills that they keep the saga fresh and gripping. It never falls into the trap of being predictable.
The village’s inhabitants are particularly well written with Carlucci catching the mix of fear and anger being directed towards the intruder. The young men of the village, angry and restless, desperate to prove themselves and looking for conflict. The older villagers, scared of the consequences only want him to move on and forget he was ever there. This is a settled place, children have been raised here. They understand what it would mean if the rest of the world turned its gaze towards them.
These creatures are in hiding and the script captures well the sense of how far they would go to avoid discovery. It is this paranoia that underpins the claustrophobic world of Harbor Moon.
Pawel Sambor’s art, supported by Nikodem Cabala bring this world wonderfully to life. Dark brooding and intense, you find yourself lost in the shadows alongside Timothy; unsure of what’s out there beside you. The artists’ use of colour deserves special mention here, with some sections being given a distinct colour palette, reds, blues and greens given these parts a distinct feel. It’s a bold and effective technique. Particularly effective is the first glimpse of the werewolves. Rendered with deep blues and reds, it’s a wonderful few pages, as the wolves come out of, and return to the shadows.
If there is one criticism of the art, it is that the characters individuality sometimes gets lost in amongst the shadows and gloom. There is a similarity in each of the tough, square faces. It’s a small thing, but it does occasionally throw you off track."
