Many thank to Dead Sky Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to preview The Spine of the Land, a historical hicksploitation graphic novel by Jason Krawcyzk with artwork by A. Shay Hahn. I was drawn to this graphic novel by the amazing cover art by Andrew Barr, which shows some kind of giant monster man feasting on flesh above a group of masked men roving among a hill of skulls. The description of the novel as “3:10 to Yuma meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre” also grabbed my attention since it seemed like such an odd pairing. The story is simple and escalates quickly but takes some unexpected pivots and twists along the way. Louisiana is expanding the railroad line through the state, but the project encounters a frightening roadblock: a band of cannibals in the undeveloped backwoods of Louisiana, delaying the project and costing the railroad companies and the state money. The forces attempting to protect the workers have captured one of the cannibals in a bear trap and want to bring him back to his home settlement. However, the governor wants to also offer the cannibals money to move out of the railroad’s way and allow construction on the line to continue. The governor and others involved with the railroad’s construction hire a kindly sheriff along with a crew of other outcasts to escort the cannibal, in a cage, through the backwoods and bayous of Louisiana. Without giving too much away, the story takes some surprising turns as the crew realizes that this might not have been the mission they initially signed up for. This is a quick read, that moves along propulsively as the mission begins and the group of ragtag lawmen move throughout the creepy and ominous backwoods of Louisiana. I really enjoyed the story, as it offers an interesting historical take on the kind of hicksploitation films from the 70s and 80s that can be so disturbing. While the description references Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I was also thinking a little bit about Bone Tomahawk when I read this, as there are some brutal kills throughout this story as the marauding mass of man-eaters attempt to defend their home against encroaching eminent domain. Regardless, any horror fan will get their fill of brutal blood and guts with this edition that really puts the graphic in graphic novel. Recommended!

Thank you for the ARC!

Loved the illustration and the bond the crew makes in their trek to move the cannibal family.

Reviews going out 9/1/26 to Goodreads, Fable, and StoryGraph.

Oh. A western cannibal splatter horror with dark comedy undertones. Color me intrigued.

This is a story about a sheriff hired by the Governor to escort a feral cannibal back to his lands. The sheriff is tasked with convincing his new traveling companion to make his people leave their land in order to continue railroad expansion. It flips the usual cannibal trope, which I enjoyed. I liked the characters involved and I particularly liked the ending. The art is great with full color and the setting is beautifully portrayed. The weaker parts of this were probably a mix of pacing and dialogue. I felt the dialogue could have been more engaging. As for pacing, there were moments of action or times right after where I thought we could have lingered longer, and then slower moments where I felt we lingered too long.

It’s a short read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the style or is into gritty, action packed, gruesome westerns.

🎨 5
📝 4
Rating : 4.5 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this graphic novel in exchange for my honest feedback.

I love Western/expansionist horror and this is a pretty solid addition to the genre. A splatter Western with gothic underpinnings, with an engrossing story and lot of action. The pacing has a few hiccups, but it was still a lot of fun.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was fantastic! If someone had dropped it in my lap and told me it was the next season of American Horror Story, I would believe them.

In 1887 Louisiana, a Sheriff is tasked by his governor to move a prisoner, a vicious cannibal who has been attacking the workforce during the construction of the railroad and delaying the project.

"And if war don't have a knack for turnin' boys into men. And men into monsters."

Although a graphic novel with less than 100 pages, I fell in love with these characters and both cried and cheered with them through the rollercoaster that was this tale. The full color pages really added to all aspects of the story, both gruesome and gleeful. I would be interested to see this attached to a set of related graphic novels by the same author or in the same universe to really set the vibe.

This was genuinely very interesting! I really enjoyed the style of the illustration. I also loved the turn the plot took, althought I feel some things could've been clearer or expanded on more. The fight scenes and the gore were gruesome which is definitely a plus for me and exactly what I signed up for.

This was a blast!

The artwork was incredible. It’s pretty graphic so be aware.

This is a perfect set up for a series too. I was so invested in our Sheriff and my heart was pounding for him the entire time. The “monsters” are super interesting and I want to know more about them!