Supernatural Law is definitely influenced by the EC style comics, and while Lash tends to take on the monsters and mysteries that were the focus of some of them, he also clearly has a romance bent that is unusual in modern day comics but wasn't so in the old days. This issue combines the romance and the monsters more directly, rather than just playing up the romance in the subplots, and the result is an entertaining read, with some really clever use of some guest artists to accentuate certain aspects of the story. The issue is more focused than usual on the main plot, but that doesn't mean the subplots are forgotten, and those seeking the newest wrinkles in the romances of the main character or the rebuilding of the law offices won't be disappointed either.
The phrase "star crossed lovers" has never been more apropros than in this story, where a pair of scientists on parallel earths meet and fall in love thanks to their transdimensional communication inventions. Lash does a great job of building Dr. Simak up as a mad scientist, a bit on the irrational and unpleasant side, without making him an unsympathetic character. Given his difficulties with social relationships, it's hard not to be happy for him finding someone he can relate to, even if he's a pain in the butt for everyone from his attorneys to the judge to his colleagues.
Batton Lash's style is one from the old school, strong in fundamentals and very similar to the work on EC and Archie comics, and that works very well for his story overall, but this issue he also gets some help from some guest artists. The result is very effective, with cheesecake artist Frank Cho serving up a dishy rendition of Dr. Simak's trans-dimensional girl and Basil Wolverton's son Monte serving up an equally distinctive rendition that proves him a chip off the old block, at least as far as art style goes.
While the central story of Simak is satisfying, I have to admit that what really keeps me coming back to Supernatural Law is the ongoing subplots. Alanna's loyalty to Chase is disappointing to the reader who knows full well that he is cheating on her, especially when Ian seems a much more likable beau, and the constant back-and-forth of Mavis's love life is always entertaining. In addition, though the renovations to the office have been fairly long-running, I find myself anxious to hear and see the end results, which probably hearkens back to my super-hero reading roots, when a new headquarters would always mean a cool schematic of the new digs.
Though I enjoyed this issue quite a bit, that doesn't mean I didn't have a few complaints. "The Get," a short story at the end of this book, is also a lead-in to the next issue, and it felt sort of rushed, a strange fit for the story in the rest of the issue. More importantly, in order to start off with an exciting scene, Lash jumps around in time a bit to show the end result of Simak's quest, and without context, it didn't really read so well, plus I found myself questioning the court scenes and whether they were taking place in flashback or not. While I can appreciate the desire to start on a high note, the non-traditional sequencing served mostly to add confusion to an otherwise strong plot.
