The book is narrated for the most part rom an unusual source, Stan the rat, though there is an evil on the move looking to cause trouble for the entwined pair.
Christopher Priest clearly has a long haul in mind, and a style of writing that he has been using for. while. Whilst Priest may be a great plotter for the long haul, this issue leaves me questions. Firstly, the jumping time frames. There is a page that clearly states that the scenes on the train are “now”, yet we jump to a dying Katie, before switching back to the train. I am confused. Secondly, and this is true for every tertiary character who explains a backstory, how doe Stan know about both Katies’s and Katherine’s past? Was he there for both? Maybe I am missing something, and if I am, I apologise.
The art from Michael Sta. Maria works well enough. The train scenes are well observed, with the office and its hidden coffin seemingly tepid in contrast. The main point of the book are the flashbacks which carry the weight of both the past and the seeds of the future, are complete and show a different type of horror. The action pieces are pacy , such as they are. If the main part of the book are the flashbacks, then part of the credit must go to colorist Ivan Nunes who paints a sepia picture of the past and a dark bold present. Letters are supplied by Willie Schubert who uses a number of fonts to get the message across. There are a number of covers of differing quality to choose from.
This second issue sorts of restarts the main story, after last issues mainly introduction of sorts, the thrust of the arc is moving forward. Piest has a huge following, I am reading Vampirella Unholy. It will be interesting to see if Priest’s style change to accommodate his very different leading ladies.
Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3 Stars
Overall – 3 Stars
Written by; Christopher Priest
Art by; Michael Sta. Maria
Colors by; Inunes
Letters by; Willie Schubert
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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