The Good
Edward Scissorhands was a fantastic movie. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder did a great job in the Tim Burton directed film. I was always saddened by the ending because of how it left things for the characters and the fact that it was an ending. The story was over. I always wondered what it would be like to see more of the story since we constantly see sequel after sequel of other properties. When it was announced that IDW would be doing a comic series, I was full of apprehension. How could a comic be made about the movie and did we really need one? Kate Leth shows us that, yes, we do need one.
If you saw the movie, you'll recall that Winona Ryder's character was a grandmother telling the sad story to her granddaughter, Megs. The comic picks up some years after that with Megs now a teenager. She's still holding onto the story she heard and wants to know more about Edward. This doesn't go over too well with her mother, who believes her mom was crazy. We do get to see what Edward's been up to and there is a new development that could cause some serious problems for Edward and the entire town.
At first, I was really on the fence over Drew Rausch's art. While he has a really great style, I wasn't sure how I felt about it for these characters. It's always a tricky thing when adapting live action stories into comics. Trying to capture the exact likeness of characters can fall flat. By taking a more stylized approach, we're able to move beyond what Edward or the entire world might look like. Burton's films are known for their quirkiness and Rausch's art captures the essence of Edward, but with a slightly different feel than what you might expect. Rausch adds in some great detail in Edward's home along with everything inside it.
The Bad
I'm still very cautious with where the story will go because of how much I enjoyed the film. You get a feel where the story might go but hopefully there will be plenty of surprises along the way.
I mentioned the art above. Again, it's something you have to think about and understand why it's a good fit for this story. At a glance, some familiar with the movie might question it.
There's the question of what those that haven't seen the movie will think. There is a brief summary on the first page. I would be curious to hear whether there's still an appeal to those unfamiliar with the characters.
The Verdict
Edward Scissorhands has finally made it to comics. As I still fondly recall the movie and have often wondered what a continuation or sequel would be like. Thanks to IDW, Kate Leth, and Drew Rausch, we now have an idea. Rausch delivers a fascinating visual take on Edward and his world. The more you allow yourself to be immersed in this world, the more you'll come to appreciate this series. There's a new problem that has appeared and it's going to be a long wait for the second issue to find out what happens next.