Black Mask Studios 2015
Created & Written by Curt Pires
Illustrated by Alex Diotto
Created & Breakdowns by Chris Peterson
Coloured by Dee Cunniffee
We start with a flashbacks sandwiched between the present and honestly it’s a nice look at who these two were before all this went down. I love that we see a pre-transgendered little boy dressing up being his true self, it just feels honest here. It’s hard to get into the life and of a transgendered person when you aren’t one but Curt does it nicely this issue.
I have to say though that Alex’s interiors were more surprising for me this issue. Terrance naked standing on the ledge without the slightest trace of body, see pubic, hair was funny it was weird that a grown man like him looked like that. Still it was fun and his whole life up till now has been kind of messed up like he’s adrift without purpose and this new situation he finds himself in has made him much more interesting and more focused than in the past.
Mike and Landry’s entrance caused quite the stir but how did they get there? Rewind a moment as we see and hear the dialogue in the car leading up to this. It’s pretty freaking funny actually and I love the conversation about one talking his girlfriend into a threesome and then being asked about the dynamics cause well it really is humorous. So when they followed them to where they were caught but the throng of all those animal mask wearing weirdos and were waiting for backup it was fun. Curt manages to take this serious subject matter and infuse humor in unexpected ways to help you feel more at ease as you read through the story.
As our intrepid duo fight to free themselves and stay alive during the shootout with the two cops things go from bad to worse. When backup finally does arrive it’s pretty much too late our crazy cult leader occult summoning crazy has used an incantation to open a portal and turn Terrance into one of his followers and the pair leave. Leaving our bartender alone wondering what the hell is gonna happen next.
As the city of Angels feels the effects of what’s happening we are all left wondering how this is going to play out next.
Bizarre, intense and all kinds of in your face interesting this series is one of those that grabs you, sucks you in and doesn’t let go. It leaves you with a desire to find what happens next. The characterization is fantastic and the story itself is weird enough that it almost seems inconsequential to the characters whose roles we see unfolding before us. Forget the ordinary come to Black Mask for stuff that will rock your world!