RETRO REVIEW: Wynonna Earp Homecoming

IDW; $19.99

While fans of the Wynonna Earp TV show continue fighting to find the show a new home after its run ended on Syfy, now is a good time for a refresher on the comics. Wynonna Earp returned to comics in 2016 with a new story titled “Homecoming” by her creator, Beau Smith.  

Wynonna Earp is the descendent of the famous lawman Wyatt Earp, but the outlaws she chases are a bit different. She becomes an agent of Black Badge Division – a group of US Marshalls that deal with paranormal criminals. They hunt down vampires, demons, werewolves, zombies, and all manner of nasty creatures.

This story arc pits Wynonna against Mars Del Rey and a cannibalistic gang that is creating a new kind of drug; a paranormal fight club; and Johnny Ringo, a demon from Tombstone who has beef with her ancestor, Wyatt. She fights the bad guys with her stern boss Special Agent Dolls, handsome cowboy John Henry, and the incredibly tough, fairly strange Valdez.

Wynonna Earp is a refreshing genre mashup. It’s a Western setting with a law versus outlaw vibe but it’s also a horror story with some grotesque villainy and downright creepy bad guys. There are fantasy elements given the histories of some characters plus the boundless possibilities for magical characters.

Wynonna is tough, assertive, and a bit sarcastic. She doesn’t shy away from a fight, whether from bravery or orneriness, it’s hard to say. Either way she is a fun character, and thankfully, Smith has surrounded her with a cast of others who are just as interesting and entertaining.

The art by Lora Innes and Chris Evenhuis is expressive, but also simplistic. The color scheme is fairly mellow, solidifying the dusty Western setting, yet the baddies and their antics are vivid and memorable. The art mirrors Wynonna’s attitude with beauty and brashness.

–Amanda Sheriff