Shadowgirls #3 (Rodriguez / Reynolds)
At the tender age of fifteen, Charon McKay disappeared from the small coastal town of Innsmouth. When she turns up, nine month later, she is incoherent and raving; and slightly more surprising…pregnant. No one
knows who the father is and even Charon is unable to remember what happened to her. The only thing people know for sure is that she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Rebecca Sue McKay and that both her and her mother are decidedly strange. In fact, most people stay away from them entirely. But Charon and Becka have more immediate
worries. Strange creatures have appeared in Innsmouth and awaken dark and terrifying powers within the girls. Only the Shadowgirls can stand against this ancient threat…if the power doesn’t consume them first… issue 3 – Charon is in police custody as the case against her continues to build. Becka is alone and helpless against the creatures from the deep and Lindsey must deal with the ramifications of her choices.
While this is a review of the current issue, it’s really a reflection of the series… I just sat down and read #1 thru #3 in the last 24 hours. At very first glance, I thought I knew what this book was about, Goth hotties fighting monsters – sort of a poorman’s version of Buffy. Within the first few pages I knew my stereotypes were wrong. While this series definitely has the goth hottie thing down (fantastic art!), this is wihtout doubt, a story-driven book. Multiple generations of a family haunted by an occult-related secret that has set them apart, isolated and mocked by the mainstream community, Charon and Becca have to figure out who to trust and how to harness their powers to fight off a demonic attack that their family might be the cause of. The plot was crisp and surprising, being a great mesh of suspense / thriller / action, with just the right amount of comedic dialogue. The fast pace of this independent horror was refreshing. As I read, I didn’t feel like I was getting filler at any level… every frame, word and transition was used to help further the story, not just for the ego of the artist or author. While some of the art of this book might fall under the “cheescake” category, it is magnificently done. But on top of that, the action sequences and amount of details to the surroundings and facial expression make this book and this artist worth watching. Kudos to David A. Rodriguez and Dave Reynolds for creating a fun horror adventure that is worth our time and money. You can check out Shadowgirls here!
Pullbox Warning: due to some gore and teen issues, this is a PG-13 book!
Series Grade: A
Issue Grade: A
