Self-Published 2018
Created & Written by John Ward
Created & Illustrated by Juan Romera
Lettered by Eric Grissom
Dee visits Jerry in Los Angeles, and must resort to extreme measures to save him from the tattoo that's possessed him.
I rather liked the first issue and when I was approached to review the second one I was thrilled to do so. I mean it isn’t very often that a flash tattoo event where a lot of folks get tattooed and then those tattoo’s are infected with something that turns them all psycho. There is a story here and it’s begging to be told and the only problem with self-publishing like this is the length in which it takes to release the books. Though the first two issues are on Comixology right now and it is truly worth a look see.
I like the way that this is structured where it starts towards the end and then recounts how it gets to that point. John’s a seasoned writer whose work in television helps him greatly here with how the story should be paced as well as where and when a reveal or event will have the most impact to the story. Also there’s a new player involved who’s with Dee and that is intriguing on many different fronts. Jerry the Priest however is the one that we really have to worry about right now as we see him in state of imaginary grace. Though I will say the narration in the opening here is fantastic as it really gives us a more in-depth look at Dee and how she thinks.
I don’t think I have ever seen the streets look this empty so much so that you would tend to notice something or someone in the area but perhaps is just and how my suspicious mind works, that or I have read too many spy novels and Batman comics over the years. Still seeing Jerry in action through Dee’s eyes is extremely unsettling and this is a very good instance of how the writer and the artist who can this well together can bring a story to life in such a way that goes beyond expectation.
Ah the mysterious stranger who looks a lost relative of Shaggy who has some sort of weird lab in his van telling Dee what is happening is related to a man-made nanotech virus. Is this true or misdirection I have no clue but it does actually raise a few interesting questions that for now must remain unanswered. Why must they?, simple really the story needs mystery it also needs to continue and he presents an avenue for that to happen. While I have no idea if his ideas or theories or whatnot are even true it does Dee some kind of hope that she isn’t in this alone.
Black and white can be a very tricky way to go since there’s no room to hide your mistakes. What really impress me though is while this has all the earmarks of an indie book there is a bit sophistication going on as well. The movement of the tattoo’s on Jerry for instance can be seen on the neck and later on the arm and that kind of movement of such linework can be tricky on the best of days but I really like how he managed to do all that. His eye for storytelling is represented in the utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels.
From the concept through the story and plot development there is a great little story to be told here. It is unlike most anything I have seen attempted to date and with the strong personalities that we see and then of Dee’s journey to find the rest of those infected well it makes me want more.