by 
Updated on February 26, 2023
Reed Gunther #7
Written by: Shane Houghton
Art by: Chris Houghton
Image has come a ways away from its 90s-era “dark and gritty badly-drawn superheroes” tone. They now seem to be offering both a bigger variety of comics (presumably helping them compete with Dark Horse Comics in the non-Marvel/DC market space) and genres that aren’t just about superheroes, while still living up to the “creator owned” mandate that started the company.
One such example is Shane and Chris Houghton’s “Reed Gunther,” an all-ages Western/horror comic about the titular tough-yet-somewhat-goofy cowboy and his best friends Starla and Sterling (a cowgirl and Reed’s pet bear, respectively). The stories feature the trio as monster hunters in the Old West, encountering a spate of werewolves, zombies, etc.
This issue sees the former as the focus, as (after blowing their money on a new pair of boots with ludicrously-oversized spurs), Reed takes a job to rid a small town of its werewolf problem. The monster doesn’t turn out to be what they (nor we) expected (though it reminds me of a “Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew” storyline…). The solution to the werewolf problem is also not what we’d expect…
The story itself was fun, with lively artwork. There’s also several backup items, including a few guest one-panel cartoons and a two-page promotional piece with Reed breaking the fourth wall to address us readers on why this book should be considered an “all-ages” comic, not just “for kids.”
Next issue sees Starla as the focus, in a story titled “Real Ladies Punch Harder!”
“Reed Gunther” also has its own website: http://reedgunther.com/
