[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Nalo Hopkinson
Artist: Dominike “DOMO” Stanton
Colors: John Rauch
Letters: Deron Bennett
Summary
LaToya and Maggie have a heart to heart about a lot of things. First, they are both dead inside, that is not great news for a relationship. Secondly, they infected a whole bunch of folks in the French Quarter in the last issue and now those people are dead inside. Maggie seems to be bugged by this, LaToya seems to be, well, dead inside. That too, is bad for a relationship.
Meanwhile, in the dreaming, Mistress Erzule, Uncle Monday, Miss Turtle and that rascal Shakpana convene on a newly constructed boat. We learn what Shakpana is planning. Like all aspects of technology, some of it is harmless, but some of it, is deadly.
So, we see the plague, started by Shakpana and spread by LaToya, spread all around the world. It is pretty ugly. As the Mistress wastes away and Shakpana loses his mind, she and her group of compatriots make a plan to save her, and the world.
Positives
This month, we get to care a bit more about the humans and that works. Honestly, even seeing snippets of people from around the world, who are being tortured by the pandemic, is really appealing. There is one moment, in a scene in India, where, the dialogue sings and the art, as always does the work. While one woman’s husband pushes her away because he knows he is dead inside, Domo casts a brokenhearted shadow on the back wall of the bedroom. It is utterly delightful as a work of art and soul crushing as a reader.
The other excellent thing Domo does this month is change the appearance of Ezurle. She is wasting away in the dreaming and when we first see her, readers might have thought that there was a new artist on the book. Nope, it is just excellence in action.
The last five pages of this book are on point. Nothing to say more except that. No spoilers.
Negatives
Once again, there is too much back and forth here and maybe even too many main characters. In the dreaming, the Mistress keeps collecting people and in New Orleans, LaToya and Maggie do as well. While the snippets into the lives of strangers works, snippets into the lives of the main characters does not.
Verdict
Honestly, the first five pages and the last five pages are excellent. The art work, is always good. I keep saying that this book is going to be really good when it be read in one sitting. I like where this issue took us and for the first time since issue one, I feel excited about the next book. Hopefully, people have not drifted away.
