Black Mask Studio 2017
Created & Written by Patrick Kindlon
Created & Illustrated by Maria Llovet
Lettered by Jim Campbell
All troughs of blood run downhill to this place and moment. Reno confronts her tormentors, but finds there's more than one lion's den to stumble into. All her problems and all her friends are in the same cage now. It's up to her to pry the door open. This is the conclusion!
This is one of those issues that ends a series and immediately you want more. There are unresolved issues and such sure but it’s really because we finally see Reno in this take charge attitude that excites the reader. That moment that when the straw breaks the camels back has come and we see this version of Reno that we’ve wanted since it all started. It’s ironic that she’d come to the forefront in the last issue, now if only Alannis would understand irony lol.
There really is something special and unique about this story. The way that the supernatural has been worked into Reno’s life was one of those unexpected twists that follows her home and surrounds and encompasses her life. Patrick and Maria held nothing back in this one as we see sex energy used in the ritual that started all this and right there on Long Island too! I love that aspect as well that you can think of a place as ordinary and unassuming and yet it harbours this deep dark secret from everyone. This whole thing just screams for further exploration.
Even more than just the storytelling here there’s this whole creepy faction to it all that isn’t as overt as you’d think and yes there are overt moments but the subtle ones are the ones that get under your skin. The skinny white dude is a great example of that and sitting on that bench and listening well I gotta say creeped me the hell out in such a mental way so very well done there.
This book is created by a the writer and illustrator and in that fashion they are able to work together on a scale we don’t see enough of. This collaboration matches the work done by Wolfman & Perez back in the 80’s it’s that cohesive to one another and play off one another in ways that is near perfection. The synchronicity here is undeniably one of the factors that to me makes this such a stand out story.
The visuals while seemingly a little rough around the edges makes it stylised and different. Maria is able to really get emotion across beautifully and keep the reader engaged. The use of page layouts here with their angles and perspective show off a nice eye for visual storytelling. The utilisation of backgrounds throughout the book are marvellous to see and so well done that they expand this world and the story in all the right ways.
I have to say this issue is like a race car on a roller coaster. The twists, turns and sheer amount of action and storytelling really makes you just eager to see the next page. I’m not even sure the moment you become invested and involved in Reno’s life. It could’ve been from the first moment we opened the first issue but you are invested and involved in this story so much so that even the focus on those who want power and are willing to use demons to get are moments that stand out. There really is a great focus on the story in it’s entirety that the all around look, tone and feel of all this is utterly captivating.
This is another prime example of why you need to read books from companies like Black Mask where you’ll discover a whole new generation of storytellers that are here right now and are so worthy of your attention.