I am pretty sure that there are a group of people who may well recognise the above paraphrased quote. Others may well think ” The Machine has a screw loose”, but looking through this book all I could think of was Charlie’s Angels. I understand that other than they fact that they both feature a triumvirate of girls, you do have to want to see the comparison. Maybe that says more about me, rather than saying something about the book.
Charlotte “Scarlet” La Costa, Octavia “Red October” Price and Rosalyn “Blood” Diamond make up a trio of terror that are hired for the sort of jobs that, well for the sake of the argument, only they can complete. But that was quite some time ago. Now, Octavia has a son in college and Charlotte is expecting her second. But parenthood brings its own pressure and when those fear losing all that they hold dear, they turn to a kidnapper insurer. So how is that not two minutes of signing the contract, that Charlotte’s little bundle of joy goes missing and all daggers point to a former partner in crime.
Tina Howard serves a story based on a dysfunctional family, dysfunctional friends and a spot of convenience to make her story work. Along the way we meet Dominic, Octavia’s son, who has a surprise for his debt ridden Mom. Still, one more payday will ensure that Octavia can pay her bills, pay for her son’s tuition, if only those flak jackets would fit. Howard’s story moves from traditional “birds of feather” into the quiet desperation of trying make a life well. The dialogue is snappy enough to intrigue the reader and keep them turning the page. For a book that wears its indie heart on its sleeve, it is massively important for the story to have an impact.
When I got back into comics in the late 80’s, I used to hear a lot about Love and Rockets. As a book, it never really interested me, especially as my focus was all about superheroes. For the most part, i am still built that way, but I have come to enjoy the flexibility of the independent market. Gilbert Hernandez is as massive to the indie market as John Byrne or Jim Lee. If you have seen his work before, you will know what to expect. For newbies; the simple line drawings show that you do not need the heavy detailed worked of certain artists to have the art tell a story. In many ways, the simple lines portray the complexity of life, trying to get through the day or page as easy as possible. Of course life, or in this stretched out metaphor, story, gets in the way. The beauty of Hernandez’ work is that it so relatable, the assassins notwithstanding. Hernandez influence is massive; looking at the art you may think “oh it’s like King of the Hill”. Remember that Love and Rockets came first, showing how comic art can go on to inspires outside its four-color pages. Speaking of which, Rob Davis brings a flat color scheme that works within the “real world” premise of this book.
Even though I understand for the need to have all their licensed books on the rack; they are after all cash cows with ready-made fan eager to spend their cash on the further adventures of the Enterprise to name just one, this is the sort of book that I wish IDW would do more of, to maybe compete with companies such as Dark Horse. I guess we will have to be happy with this six issue run, for now.
Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Tina Howard
Art by; Gilbert Hernandez
Colors by; Rob Davis
Published by; Black Crown by the way of IDW
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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