I Love Trouble goes out on a high note!
4.5/5
This is the final issue of I Love Trouble and while it will be sorely missed it goes out on a high note!
I was sad to hear from writer/creator Kel Symons that this would be the final issue of I Love Trouble. It’s such a witty, fun book with a light current of underlying social commentary and heart. The beginning of this issue flashes back to Baghdad 923 A.D. and a young servant running from “death.” Cut to present day Baghdad and Felicia having a bit of fun fleeing from her latest assassination assignment. She has obviously grown weary of her occupation and must inject unwarranted danger and recklessness into the mix to have more fun on the job. Her boss sees it as suicide but Felicia sees this element as a necessity.
Unfortunately for us, dear readers, Symons is packing up the toys and moving on. But before he does he gives us one last wild ride. There is so much to tidy up that at times it feels rushed but Symons does a great job overall giving fans the most bang for their buck. Felicia is in danger of being shipped off by her boss and psychologist because they feel her mental state is rapidly deteriorating due to her actions in the field.
Maggie is starting to come into her own with a sudden discovery of telekinetic skills and Johnny his making is own slimly underhanded deals. Symon’s wouldn’t end this run without Johnny getting what he deserves and in a sequence to give you a satisfying voyeuristic view of justice. Felicia literally becomes the vision of death we saw back in Baghdad in 923 A.D.
The art duties on this final issue is handled by Nate Stockman and he does more than a solid job on retaining the artist flow and vibe the title for which it is so well known. Again, the sound effects play as much a part in the story telling and there are several panels that stand out. There is the aforementioned split image of Felicia with the vision of Death from the past. A striking panel of Felicia as she sits at her vanity. A mirror image of half of it holding guns and ammunition and the other half her blow dryer and nail polish. There is an overall animated sense of style that captures expressions, mood and tone that’s simply exceptional.
I Love Trouble was an all too short series that packed it’s fair share of punch. This was a title that stood out for it’s look and it’s style all while telling a fun, action packed story with a tremendous female lead. Felicia deserves to go out on a high note and Symons makes sure she does. That said I would “love” to see Symons have the opportunity to bring her back in some fashion because the comics industry is better off because of the characters and the creators of I Love Trouble. Felicia, I miss you already!