|
KISSING CHAOS #2
Recommended (8/10)
|
Oni Press
Writer/Artist: Arthur Dela Cruz
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.25 US |
As Kissing Chaos unfolds, I am slowly being drawn in, but I
keep wanting more every time an issue comes out. That's good in that Dela Cruz
has got my interest, but bad in that I never feel like he's telling an entire
story in each issue. I have a suspicion that I will enjoy the trade paperback a
great deal more than the single issues. Dela Cruz is teasing the readers with
several unreliable narrators, the borderline delusional Angela and the very
private Raevyn and Damien. Their interaction is fun to watch, but I still don't
feel like I know much about them or what is going on.
Picking up where last issue
left off, we find Damien, Raevyn and Angela in a stolen car headed, well,
anywhere as long as it's away from the cops. The issue focuses mostly on an
argument between Raevyn and Damien which seems to be hinting at sparks between
them, as well as throwing another complication into their already complicated
lives. Dela Cruz is flirting close to the line on suspension of disbelief with
the amount of crime and trouble these kids are getting into, but so far he
hasn't gone past it.
Part of the reason is because
he's telling the story in a dreamlike, surreal fashion. The narrative is
straightforward, but the elements of the story, whether it's a young romance
with a dark edge or a new bride holding a shotgun, seem intentionally weird.
It's almost as if these characters are running headlong into fate rather than
hitting random crimes and coincidences. It certainly seems like Raevyn and
Damien have instant chemistry in a sort of twisted "love at first sight" style.
I continue to be impressed
with the artwork, which also helps to convey the dreamlike tone of the book. The
lighting is soft, the characters just slightly out-of-focus, moreso when we're
listening to Angela's point-of-view and less so when Damien or Raevyn are
controlling the narrative. The art is being used to speak as much as the words,
and that's an interesting touch. I also like that Dela Cruz is capable of such
powerful images, such as the one that closes the issue or the one that sees
Angela recalling an event with a gun.
However, I do wish there was a
bit more of a straightforward narrative. Opening with Angela talking about
what's going to happen at the end is unnecessarily confusing, for example. Also,
although cutting the conversations between Raevyn and Damien with Angela's
mental wanderings makes for some nice atmosphere, it also interrupts the part of
the story easiest to connect with right when I think I'm getting what's going
on. By the time I've got a handle on the story, this chapter is over, and it
usually takes two or three rereads to make sure I'm actually understanding what
Dela Cruz is trying to get across.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
