451 Media 2015
Created & Written by Mark Mallouk
Adapted by Andi Ewington
Illustrated by Lee Cortez
Lettered by Eugenio Perez Jr.
So this issue takes the story in a direction I honestly hadn’t seen coming. There’s something surreal about it that after I finished I still had to sit back and think and go over it all again. How did this story of a kidnapping of a young girl, the brutal murder of her father and devastating feeling of loss by the wife/mother turn into something so much more? It’s a very kind of subtle change yet if flows within the story in a way that feels completely natural.
CJ’s story here is pretty damn good I mean we see her progression from that scared woman who couldn’t leave her home to this determined woman and now today she’s found the Sheriff who in charge of the case. The story is pretty damn amazing the adaptation by Andi is strong as well but seeing the interiors along with the story i’m super impressed. I mean the trailer in the middle of nowhere where Sheriff Leshing lives yeah that was wow.
The dialogue and conversation between them seemed to really turn the Sheriff around and as we see him cleaning himself up you think okay. Then you realize that Rush is a much more powerful figure than we could have ever thought. I mean if his influence direct or otherwise is capable of doing this to this man than what else is just his memory or what his name conjures up can do is so damn scary. I mean the way CJ and the Sheriff went back and forth there was honest, raw and emotional and then what happened afterward was almost devastating. All because of one man.
Then later at the bar trying to drown her sorrows or get over what she’s witnessed either way whew. The “tweaker” as CJ calls her comes to chat. I dunno if this tweaker is her daughter or not who sent the postcard luring her mother there but the way they talk to each other is definitely more revealing about the character of each woman. So is was this all planned from the get go is there a greater purpose here we’re not privy to? Who knows but I do know that it seems like much larger is happening, something on a grand scale.
I’m still blown away by the visuals here too. I mean when CJ is being taken to Rush and they drive then they walk through the desert it’s really some of the most impressive interior artwork that seemingly comes out of nowhere to hit you in the face with powerful emotions. The two page spread alone yeah dang that is definitely a WOW moment and this book is full of those.
As we get to the end of the issue I was taken aback at what we see. Surely no one could have expected this twist to come along. Here I thought we were just getting a story about one woman’s emotional journey and growth and instead we seem to be getting that and so much more. Though I have to wonder if CJ can see past or through her anger long enough to question the things happening around her so she’s not caught up in Rush’s web.
Wow I love new companies who make big bold statements and Sunflower is a big bold statement!