Review: Calamity Kate #1 (of 4)
Once again the vampires and zombies of LA are on the rise. It’s a good thing then that there is a new erm…… sort of slayer coming back to town. In this new Dark Horse mini series, we get to join Calamity Kate on her latest mission. Though she doesn’t just have deal with monsters in her quest to kill the fabled Seven Beast of Yore; she needs to also deal with her own personal demons!
Now back in LA, Kate hooks up with her old bestie, Vera who has a little girl called Jade, who has a Wonder Woman fixation. Time has passed since the two bestie’s drifted apart; their lives seemingly so different. Before long, Kate has moved in and continues with her life, seldom taking into consideration Vera’s life. Which is the bigger battle that Kate will fight, is open for debate, which, like the truth will no doubt come out in subsequent issues.
The book is written by the award nominated Magdalene Visaggio who, for Kate, aims for a kick ass type of character. Yes, she has flaws (who doesn’t), with career focus being the chief especially as it impacts on both Vera and Jade, the latter being very impressionable. The dialogue works as we get to see Kate at her best and her most fragile. Vera is the everyday type of character that serves to ground Kate and in some way casts Kate in a poor light, regardless of the fact that she is trying to save the world. The dichotomy between the two perceptions, Vera and Kate’s, is for me probably the most enjoyable element of this book.
The art is provided by Corin Howell who delivers a book that is filled with cartoon elements that reminds me of Amanda Conner with a touch of Howard Chaykin, to some extent. Howell’s expressive faces help convey the various emotions, from Vera’s indignation to Jade’s energy all the way to Kate’s focus and enjoyment on her role as city saviour. The panel layouts, with a cacophony of monster battles, at times, is a little confusing with the time lines of the battles uncertain. Whilst this is cleared up in dialogue, I would have liked it to be clearer from a story-telling point of view. Howell displays heavy this inks which certainly adds strength to the visual elements of this book, which are further helped by Valentina Pinto’s bold colors. Letter Zakk Saam uses a lot of emphasis on certain words which I din’t notice on the first reading, though feels a little intrusive second time around, at least in certain places.
To paraphrase, behind every monster is a strong woman trying to kill it. As with a certain vampire slaying cheerleader, it is the aspects of different lifestyles, which seems the clear focal point of the story, will turn out to be the most interesting.
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Magdalene Visaggio
Art by; Corin Howell
Colors by; Valentina Pinto
Letters by; Zakk Samm
Published by; Dark Horse ComicsÂ
Author Profile
- 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
Latest entries
Comic BooksOctober 14, 2024Review: Absolute Batman #1
Comic BooksSeptember 25, 2024Review: Defenders of the Earth #2 (of 8)
Comic BooksAugust 7, 2024Review: Gatchaman #2
Advance ReviewJuly 30, 2024Advance Review: Defenders of the Earth #1 (of 8)
You must be logged in to post a comment.