ARTEMIS AND THE ASSASSIN #3 (Aftershock Comics, July 15 release date) Writer: Stephanie Phillips. Artist: Francesca Fantini. Colors: Lauren Affe. Letters: Troy Peteri. Main cover by Phil Hester, Bruce McCorkindale & Mark Englert.
I still can’t figure out which of the two main characters writer Stephanie Phillips favors here. That’s not a bad thing, because I really like them both. I’m just trying to get a handle on where this might be going, and I can’t. Strong, astute, combative female characters with sass. That’s a winning combination.
Virginia Hall (a.k.a. Artemis), the resistance fighter and Maya, a time-traveling assassin from an unspecified future confront each other in WWII Nazi-occupied Paris and accidentally end up in 1875 Goldfield, Arizona. Before the issue ends, the story also touches down in 2001 Afghanistan, that unspecified future, and 2200 B.C.E. Whew.
Virginia and Maya are surrounded by a gang of gunslingers who demand a fee, and eye up Maya’s odd bracelet (that controls time travel). Back at mission control, leader Isak wonders if Maya has gone rogue, panics, and dispatches assassins Toby and Akechi to her last known location.
I love how this story is unfolding, especially because it’s so well-defined that new readers can jump in at Issue #3 and still understand and enjoy it.
RATING SYSTEM
STORY: Plenty of action. New twists and new problems. Great verbal confrontations/banter between the two female leads. There seems to be a grudging respect for each other, and a willingness to cooperate (for now). 3 POINTS.
ART: A change from Issues #1 and #2, with Fantini in a solo effort for the first time. She really excels in the action scenes. 3 POINTS.
COVER: I never thought I would miss the western comics genre, but that cover has me feeling nostalgic. 1 POINT.
READ AGAIN? Yes. Yes. Yes. 1 POINT.
RECOMMEND? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I said it before and nothing has changed my mind: One of my favorite 2020 books. 1 POINT.
TOTAL RATING: 9 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. NEAR PERFECT.
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UNDONE BY BLOOD #4 (Aftershock Comics, July 15 release date) Lonnie Nadler & Zac Thompson, writers Sami Kivela, artist. Jason Wordie, colors. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, letters. Sami Kivela & Jason Wordie, main cover.
Crime and western genres in the same comic. One a 1970’s tale of revenge, the other deals in redemption and rescue.
Both protagonists are tracking down the perpetrators responsible for the tragic crimes against them. Another link between the two is that while Ethel hunts her family’s killer, she reads a western paperback, taking her cues and inspiration from the story of former gunslinger Solomon Eaton. Both stories unfold together, with cigarettes and smoking tobacco serving as the transition back and forth between the two plot lines.
In this issue, both Ethel and Sol make their own public proclamations of war. Ethel confronts Police Chief Colls and derides him, stating that she’s closer to identifying the killer in one week than he did after 1.5 years of investigation. She’s also not afraid to declare that she’s going to murder the killer of her family. Sol makes his way to Flagstone, looking for Jed Laroche & The Mosquito gang who are holding his son hostage in exchange for a treasure location. He strolls into a saloon and declares his purpose, seeking to enlist some help from the sheepish patrons, only to find trouble waiting outside the doors. Meanwhile, Ethel visits a wake and gets a valuable clue from the deceased’s parents.
RATING SYSTEM
STORY: I’m really enjoying the two different perspectives here. The transitions always occur in the right places and seem so timely. Ethel, with a feisty and punk demeanor, wears a Kinks tee-shirt in several scenes. I emphatize with her even more, as that’s my all-time favorite rock band. 3 POINTS.
ART: One artist for both stories, with cinematic and expressive visuals. The colors and letering change with the western scenes, with appropriate sepia tones and a different font. 2.5 POINTS.
COVER: Double action. Reminds me of the classic Tales Of Suspense shared covers between Iron Man and Captain America. 1 POINT.
READ AGAIN? Of course. On the second time, read all the Ethel sections and Sol sections separately. Then start again to see how the two mesh so well. 1 POINT.
RECOMMEND? I’m not a big western fan, but I like this a lot. And I love good crime comics. 1 POINT.
TOTAL RATING: 8.5 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. WELL ABOVE AVERAGE AND WORTH YOUR CONSIDERATION.
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