[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writers: Jody Houser and Jim Krueger
Artists: Shawn Crystal and Phil Hester
Summary
We learn a bit more about what happened to Violet at Gather House and it is not good. Of course, we knew that already, but still, it is worse that you can imagine. We learn a lot more about what is going on with Violet’s mother. It is not good. Of course, we already knew that, but still, it is worse than you can imagine.
In the back story, we learn a lot about who people are and who people are not and we see it all through the eyes of…Well, nope. I am not going to spoil this.
Positives
Have you ever thought you could just put on a giant white bat jumpsuit and go out into the night and kick a bunch of asses? Did you think that you could just use the element of surprise to scare the hell out of some baddies, because who would put on a giant white bat jumpsuit and do that? You know who? A crazy person who was trained to be a weapon and who killed her “classmates” as part of her training. That’s who. Oh, right, she also had some major surgical alterations to her entire constitution. Each issue, Violet becomes more and more sympathetic and more and more dangerous. It is this diametric opposite that makes this book amazing. Jody Houser, get in line for an Eisner. Seriously. Damn.
For the first time, the Gotham Radio story line takes us somewhere. It was all world-building up to this point, I get that. Now, the world is built. The story is set and the wheels are in motion (sorry for mixing my metaphors there). This is super cool. I will give away nothing. Get the book. Seriously. Get this book.
Negatives
Tommy Lee Edwards takes an issue off and while Shawn Crystal does an excellent job while Violet is in her Mother Panic gear, a lot of this issue focuses on Violet in her human skin. As it always the case with artists, they take liberties. Crystal’s work is good, it is just different. We are only five issues into this series and to change up the artists already is a bit unsettling. Again, it is not bad, it is just different and sometimes, different works as a negative.
Verdict
Violet’s mother has a a rat person living in her garden. It seems as though there is a person, who is also a rat. Or rat who turns into a man. What the actual F^C*? Does Violet know? Wow. I can not wait to find out.
