Image Comics 2015
Written by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley
Illustrated by Brett Weldele
Lettering & Design by Fonografiks
Wow okay so I have no idea if the young woman in the opening is dead or alive lying there and I guess we’ll find out sooner rather than later but in the meantime Holy Bait and Switch Batman! The story that is begun this issue took me by surprise, tugged at my heart strings and threw me for the proverbial loop! I applaud the subject matter and the way it’s being handled here.
I love the way this story is told interweaving the past and the present. Our main character is a hitwoman and she’s darn good at what she does. The fact that we see her as a child at school and how different he was then was a little startling. However how her mother treated her and took of her growing up was one of the sweetest things i’ve seen. This is how parents should behave. Everything you see here is wonderfully done and it really tugs at the heartstrings in ways you just don’t expect.
One tragedy changes her life forever and she becomes someone new. This is when she as a youngster goes off on her own, after all foster homes for a girl like her weren’t available. Here she meets Parks and he becomes her family. It’s in the present we see them together for the first time and it’s really kind of sweet as if they are family, sometimes the family you find and choose is much stronger than the one you are born into and that’s plain to see right here. It’s also during this encounter that the past comes back into play and we see how he first took an interest in her.
We also meet Lucca, he isn’t one of Parks kids but ya know that’s better he’s a guy who does his job for him. He and Ezerae have a job to do and it’s very clear that they like each other. We also get a look at what Beauty has done to play a role in all this. It’s interesting and the premise of what it could or is capable of has really upped the ante. I mean i’m sure that one part didn’t go away even if the body now matched more of the inside but if it went’ complete than that’s one hell of a disease. Still I love that Lucca likes her, finds her beautiful even before being infected by Beauty and that well now i’m more intrigued.
Brett is a nice artist and his work is very appealing however it isn’t Jeremy’s. I miss the attention to detail, this more abstract is nice but… Ezerae’s face changes too much for me from hard to soft throughout the issue. So figuring out when the Beauty hit isn’t exactly clear. I dunno it’s nice but not as expressive for me, it evokes feelings but doesn’t delve deep enough for me. The watercolour effect is great and and I like the way the story flows through the pages I just miss the more realistic approach it better suits this series.
The story great and I like seeing a different point of view and new characters with their own connection to Beauty. Fleshing out the world and the effects Beauty has on others is nice to see.