Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled ride through the seedy underbelly of the Wild West in The Coyote and the Snake, a gripping crime thriller graphic novel set in the 70s. Brace yourself as Joe, our enigmatic protagonist, roars through the desert in his trusty camper, accompanied only by a sly young coyote. This electrifying tale reveals the true identity of Joe and unveils the dark secrets that drive him on his wild journey.

The art in The Coyote and the Snake is simply phenomenal! Each page bursts with energy, evoking the raw essence of the era. The gritty details and intense colors transport readers straight into the heart of the action, immersing them in the sprawling landscapes of the Wild West. The skillful artwork serves as a perfect visual complement to the gripping narrative, creating an atmosphere that crackles with suspense and intrigue.

Kudos to Europe Comics for providing an advance reader copy (ARC) of this exhilarating graphic novel. I am grateful for the opportunity to dive into this thrilling world and share my excitement with you! This reviews has opinions expressed here that are entirely my own.

A graphic novel that is rather enjoyable, but on reflection isn't as good as it thinks it is, nor as good as it seems at first. Joe is a hardened old codger in a campervan in the wilds of the US deserts, who manages to adopt a coyote-x-tame dog puppy, which allows him to talk – and talk, and talk – about his life. For once upon a time he was big in organised crime, and is permanently on the move now as part of his testimony against his former colleagues and resulting place in witness protection. But the powers that be need to keep him under their thumb, as a retrial is imminent and one of the other main witnesses has just been despatched.

At first it's decently engaging seeing the man yack to the coyote cross, but once he's had his extended flashback into Mafia stereotypes we see it really is a contrivance the book needed, and however nice the budding friendship might appear it is just something that is there for different reasons. It all could have been different – we could have seen the man's character through action, not monologue after monologue – although one later beat when we think he's addressing the mutt and he's not is a benefit from the approach.

Elsewhere, we can see the author – who has a part-credit in his own translation – doesn't know when characters can just be allowed to shut up. One short scene might as well have been scripted as follows:-
Conversation with men A, B and C, where C makes A and B suspicious. Conversation ends, then...
Shot of A and B being left feeling suspicious.
Dialogue – A to B – "I feel suspicious…"
It's a good job Joe can talk to his canine friend properly, for some people here just cannot talk without exposition or like actual humans do.

That said, the historical basis of all this – the actual birth and actual moral debate about the criminal protection goings-on – is a flavour to the book I've not tasted elsewhere. Things can leave their lull in fine ways at times – there's a fight in a pet shop that will never be filmed these days with animal protection laws etc, and Joe can prove himself suitably adept at staying both alive and on the right side of things morally. I didn't dislike my time with him, nor the dog, but I did see their extended time together as a bit of a verbose ruse, in the hope this felt startlingly different from other such stories. It didn't, so this is three and a half stars on a good day.

This graphic novel follows an ex-con in witness protection who's being called back to testify in a trial against his co-conspirators who he had turned in.

I'll be honest, I don't have a huge amount to say about this one because I found it very lacklustre. The art style was absolutely gorgeous and the establishing shots were fantastic. I really liked the relationship between the MC and the coyote he adopts, it gave us some great moments. But pretty much everything other than those two things what exceedingly boring to me.

The Coyote and the Snake is a crime thriller graphic novel set in the 70s. Joe is driving in his camper through the desert. His only companion is a young coyote. Along the way, we learn who Joe is and why he is wandering through the Wild West.

The art is very good.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

I loved this graphic novel. The story moves at a great pace. There is building suspense, and most of all the relationship between Joe and his "dog" is fantastic. Joe's conversations with the dog make this book amazing.

Recommended read to all Comic Crime Thriller readers and worthy of all the stars.

Matz is a great writer. Xavier’s art is just awesome.

Like a lot of Xavier's comics, it's overwritten as hell and nearly all of the story we're getting is generic - the usual gangster's life, etc. Matz's art is pretty but the story is such an unimpressive and weak one that I was bored much of the time. Slow-moving, unengaging, dull - not a great comic, unless all you want is the most mediocre hitman-esque story.

This story is about a mobster in his later years who is under the Witness Protection Act with the Feds. He's out on his own, trying to survive. He picks up a young coyote, tangles with those who want to take advantage, and has a fling with an old flame. This story didn't impress me as much as the art. None of the characters are likeable, and it's like we're dropped into the middle of a story where a lot of backstory has to be told to make sense of it all. So really, I come away with, who cares? And that's the problem. I don't really care if the main character is killed or walks away.

I don’t read manga that often even though I adore it. This was great I really enjoyed it and was part of the reason I would keep reading mangas. I’m definitely in the mood!

My first 'comic' in 65 years and it was 'first class'. An extremely interesting story that kept you turning the pages - finished in one sitting. The art work is brilliant bringing everything together in the novel. Well done to both Matz and Philippe Xavier and Europe Comics. Recommended read to all Comic Crime Thriller readers and worthy of five stars.