You don't get this kind of thing often enough in mainstream comics...
Scarlet steps up her vendetta against the Portland police department by concocting a very-involved scheme targeting the detective who did her wrong.
The Good
You know, I always enjoy a good case of characters breaking the fourth wall. I'd call this a psychotic riff on Alfie or Ferris Bueller, but that'd be selling short its truly-involving style, which is a delirious mix of acid burn trippiness and personable wet realism. While I've got some issues with what's perhaps an over-reliance on photo references, Maleev still crafts an intoxicating dreamworld of color and texture in these pages. I especially liked the abstract approach he takes to the layouts and compositions throughout this, as you see such care for presentation is all-too-rare in mainstream comics these days.
The Bad
I love experimental and unconventional art styles, but I wish Maleev hadn't used doctored photos for the scenery as much he did. Or, at least, I would've preferred if he worked them over to be closer to the style of his line art. Sometimes this looks like a fumetti and other times it looks like drawings that've been superimposed over photos that don't quite fit.
The Verdict - 4/5
I'm glad that Bendis is finally getting back to his roots with a honest-to-goodness crime thriller. It's been far too long since we've seen him do his thing in the likes of Torso and Jinx. It's also refreshing to see an indy-style comic with Marvel's level of production value. I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy Scarlet in full, as is surely the best way to experience it.
