Image Comics 2020
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Mike Henderson
Coloured by Adam Guzowski
Lettered & Design by John J. Hill
Love is in the air, and it smells like MURDER! Alice, the daughter of the Nailbiter, comes face-to-face with a man that knows who kidnapped her mother. How much blood is she willing to shed to get answers?
Well I am enjoying the way that Joshua is writing this as there is so much going on here and it doesn’t feel cramped, crowded or confusing in the slightest. I have honestly enjoyed watching Joshua grow over the years and becoming one today’s hottest storytellers. There is something about this that has been elevated since the first arc in regards to the complexity of the story we’re seeing. I mean the layering alone with how much there is to tell from so many different angles is awe inspiring. There is a lot to see and experience here and it isn’t at all what you’ll expect to be seeing.
I love the way that this is being told. How we see the story & plot development through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is being told exceptionally well. I mean there are some great moments throughout this that rely on age old techniques which are more than effectively utilised throughout. The character development that we see is amazing and how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they face reveals a lot about them. The more we see, the more I want to see them and that’s just how we should want this to be. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way we see just how well everything works together in creating the books ebb & flow. It also throws the spotlight on how twell the book is structured and wow.
I am thoroughly enjoying the surprises that are thrown at us along the way. I like how Nick and his secrets are going to be his downfall from grace, and if they aren't well then they should be, and of course there’s Alice who’s daddy is infamous and whose mother well I guess we are going to learn about that. So many things happening all at once and all seemingly on cue as if someone, somewhere is manipulating all these events to suit their own nefarious plans. Though that’s just supposition because I honestly haven’t a clue.
I am a fan of and thoroughly enjoying the interiors here. The linework is fabulous and the varying weights are utilised to their fullest. There is a quirky look to the book that both makes it appear harmless as well really capturing the readers’ mind and imagination at the same time. It is a style and it works phenomenally and honestly for whatever unquantifiable reason I love it. I of course would like to see backgrounds utilised a heck of a lot more because I want to see the scene fleshed out further, give more depth perception and sense of scale. Though the utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a truly remarkable eye for storytelling. The colour work that we see here is gorgeous! I mean seeing the yellow lines in the sweater is beautiful work. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is rendered extremely well.
I am so glad that there is a second season of this and it picks up after the events and is essentially a new story all it’s own. Yes you should read the first arc for sure but if you haven’t you can still read this and follow along in that new reader friendly kind of way. If you want a good nail-biting thriller then hop on board it’s guaranteed to keep your eyes wide open!