FORMAT: TRADE PAPERBACK (REVIEWED), DIGITAL | RELEASE DATE:  OUT NOW

Comic books have been taking historical figures and putting them in unlikely scenarios for a while now. After all, famous figures from the past are unlikely to complain about being misrepresented, especially if they’ve been dead for a very long time. That said, The Duke of Wellington is an unusual choice for a monster-hunting action hero, as he is presented in IDW’s latest graphic novel, Wellington.

The plot sees the Duke invited to a Yorkshire village by an old friend to investigate three things;  a missing child, a mysterious corpse and a strange black dog haunting the moors. The reason why a military man and member of parliament is selected to figure these things out isn’t very well explained. Despite the name, Wellington less about the Duke himself and more the horrors he encounters.

As such the story never quite lives up to its promise. The idea of a historic war hero fighting the supernatural is a fun one, but this tale his much more a slow-burn; less Hellboy and more Hellblazer, but without the swearing and intrigue.  The ‘regency era horror’ element works very well however and mostly makes up for the main character being more than a little bit dull.

Piotr Kowalski’s art is appropriately atmospheric. He captures the regency era perfectly, blending the stark look of the time with some fine gothic touches.  The monsters look monstrous, the horrors horrible and the Duke himself is prim, proper and an absolute thug. He pretty much nails it on every page and colourist Brad Simpson combines the bleak look of the moors with the  finery of the time.

The result is a book that looks cinematic throughout, and captures to tone and mood of the story perfectly.  Wellington  has a lot of promise, but this book feels more like a pitch for a Netflix show than an actual story.