IDW Publishing 2017
Written by Pierrick Colinet & Elsa Charretier
Illustrated by Daniele Di Nicuolo
Coloured by Sarah Stern
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
While trying to find a missing anomaly named Jezebel, Teddy has her watch stolen, stranding her in a town filled with people addicted to reality-distorting headsets. After Discovering that Jezebel passed away, Teddy decides to find her watch and get back home. She refuses to get involved in the town’s affairs, despite Jezebel’s surviving husband Ron’s plea for help. Ron wants Teddy’s help to free his town from the clutches of Doc, a powerful supplier who’s made sure the town stays addicted to his product. Unfortunately for Teddy, Doc also has plans for her….
There’s something about this story that’s rather intriguing in that we see such wildly devoted and nefarious activity that’s being enjoyed so thoroughly. From Doc’s son to the young man selling out Teddy we see such acts of desperation and villainy that is shown in such an unashamed way that you can’t help but like it. Also the whole way it’s presented to us is just plain fun for me. It’s nice to find characters who are being something other than who they are and with no apology. We can hate them all we want for all the right reasons or just relish in them being who they are either way it’s some incredibly good solid writing and characterisation.
I’m still wondering about all these damn VR headsets and what’s their real purpose or what they were intended for and how they were hijacked into becoming slave makers. Then there’s Ron and how he’s so desperate for something, anything to keep his thoughts on or off Jezebel so that her life wasn’t meaningless. I want to feel sorry for him, root for him to and his clinic to succeed but there’s just something there that feels off with him. He’s playing solitaire with a deck of 51 if truth be told.
Daniele does some nice work here though it’s bit on the Venture Brother’s side of animation for me. I also wish more backgrounds were used because it feels much too open and unfinished. The way page layouts are used through their angles and perspective are done well.
Ah Congresswoman Anderson, her little secret has found out and right before a senate hearing where she was expected to fold and not go forward with her plan. Though this is Teddy’s wife and there are together for a reason as both women are feisty as can be, strong willed and aggressive so what we see go down here with her comes as no surprise. It’s as if they let her in, in order to keep her under control but had no real idea just what she’s capable of or made of.
I don’t like how this ends but I can totally see the reasons behind it. With Teddy fighting for her life and trying to get away from Doc and Ron doing what he did it looks like things here are going to be in a constant state of upheaval and I have to admit that honestly I cannot wait to see what’s next here.