Werewolf Wednesday Entry 3/5/25

Title: Blackwater.

Media: Comic, written and illustrated by Jeanette Arroyo and Ren Graham.

The comic takes place in the fictional town of Blackwater, Maine, and draws inspiration from popular teen horror flicks albeit with more front and center queer representation. Initially released on Tumblr, and briefly featured on Webtoon, the comic was officially published in its entirety in 2022. 

The story follows the high school student Tony Price, a rambunctious jock struggling with his home life, and his soon to be friend Eli Hirsch, whom bears the peculiar ability to see ghosts. Amidst the high school angst, Tony struggles to communicate with his father, whilst Eli makes various mistakes all in an effort to feel seen by his peers despite his frequent absences due to his chronic illness. As Tony and Eli become more closely acquainted, Eli is warned by a ghost to keep Tony from entering the woods, and although his warning keeps Tony from venturing into the forest alone, he ends up attending a hunting trip with his friend Biff and his family the following weekend. 

On that fateful hunting trip, Tony and his friend encounter a mutilated deer carcass, speculating that it is the work of the sick bear rumoured to have been sighted in the surrounding woods. After a brief argument between the two, they separate, leaving Tony to wander alone while Biff joins his family. Once alone, Tony is attacked by a horrific beast and bitten on the shoulder. Luckily, Biff’s father manages to shoot it and frighten it off, leaving Tony injured but alive. As the days elapse and he recovers, he begins to experience migraines and tooth pain, which eventually results in the sudden loss of his teeth.

The werewolf curse in Blackwater appears to draw from the emotions of the afflicted subject, causing a transformation only when emotions are high, or the host is physically injured. After Tony undergoes his first transformation at Eli’s house, Eli and Tony’s friend Marcia swiftly begin to investigate. With the help of a particularly annoying ghost that has been haunting Eli, the three teenagers are able to track down the werewolf that attacked Tony and confront her directly. 

Overall, the most endearing aspect of the comic Blackwater is its dynamic characters, charming art style, and unique approach to the werewolf curse. As one of the more recent additions to werewolf media, Blackwater stands as a strong testament to the potential of the subgenre.

As always, be sure to appreciate your local monsters.