Oni Press 2016
Written by Janet Harvey
Illustrated by Megan Levens
Coloured by Nick Filardi
Lettered by Crank!
Janet is kicking things into high gear here as Dolores finds herself right in the thick of things. I’m a total and complete fan of this book and what is going on here. From the get go we’ve seen Dolores go from Mobster’s girl to an independent, vivacious and determined woman ready to take on the world. The kind of courage she’s been showing by giving up her cushy life and feigning ignorance of that lifestyle has been a joy to see.
Also the characterisation here goes beyond what you should expect. There are plenty of little things that can be gleaned from the story itself. Yes she’s street smart but she’s also learned a lot by being Gino’s girl and while she’s kept her mouth shut she’s amassed quite a bit of knowledge and how things work in this town. She’s smarter than people give her credit for, herself most of all and that we can see this through her actions and how she goes about things makes it all the more fun.
Janet also has this great way of “accidentally” having Dolores find friends or associates. From her time with Gino and since getting involved with Joe she’s shown this resourcefulness that can only be done by this classic Dame. Speaking of those we saw Aggie have to wrestle with that decision about the story she’s been working on with them. This issue we see where she fell on that and we’ll see if this is something she can live with or one she’ll prosper from.
I’m in love with the interiors here as well. I mean these classic clothes and hairstyles Megan comes up with and Nick flourishes are spectacular. They really make me wish that people took more pride in their appearance and always leave the house looking polished. The use of page layouts with their angles and perspective are wonderfully done and then there’s the backgrounds that flesh out the little details.
Dolores may not trained as a spy or action hero but this adventure puts her on par with any man in those franchises. It’s been said “Hell Hath No Fury….” and i’ll be damned if Dolores isn’t going to prove that saying right in spades. From the crooked cops the mob everyone needs to look out because with her knowledge, skills and know how no one is safe anymore even if she’s on the run. I should say especially now that she’s on the run.
The world has a new hero and she’s the most unlikely suspect of them all.