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KISSING CHAOS #4
Recommended (8/10)
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Oni Press
Writer/Artist: Arthur Dela Cruz
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.25 US |
This story is
unfolding at a maddeningly slow pace, and I'd be frustrated if I weren't so
completely drawn into it. Though Angela's narration often borders on repetitive,
it serves to reinforce her view of Damien, which I'm guessing will lead to a
shattering revelation later in the series. And the introduction of a new
character (sort of) with relations to Raevyn and some other mysterious figures
complicates an already-complicated situation. It would have been easy to do this
story as a balls-to-the-wall action road trip, but Dela Cruz is taking a more
introspective and cerebral view, and the results, though sometimes unclear or
somewhat slow, are very intriguing.
Though Raevyn and Damien are
definitely the more interesting and lively of our trio of main characters, this
is really Angela's story. There are hints in her narration that she's suffered
more darkness than the more cynical characters, and that rather than becoming
hard or sarcastic, she's retreated into a sort of fantasy reality in her head.
It's really interesting to contrast her view of things with what's really
happening, particularly when it comes to Damien's actions.
Of course, while Angela may
be driving the story, it's Raevyn who really has my attention. She's got a sharp
tongue and probably more smarts than the rest of the group, but the return of Ev
this issue lets us see her off-guard and uncomfortable, something she really
hasn't been since the beginning. There are clearly strange things going on with
Ev, and I'm wondering if Raevyn hasn't gotten herself in over her head as much
as Damien and Angela have.
Dela Cruz's artwork helps to
maintain the feel of the book as somewhat dreamlike and cinematic. There are
panels, such as Ev's encounter with the men in black, that feel like slow
motion, suddenly interrupted by a cacophony of noise such as the foiled
shoplifting. And you can practically hear the soft music playing as Angela goes
on and on about Damien, even as her true love is stealing another car.
It's really hard to pin this
book down. It's sort of a crime story, but it doesn't have much in common with
what I've come to expect from crime comics these days. It's also sort of a
slice-of-life/relationship book, but it's from a strange and more unusual
perspective than many of those books. All I do know for sure is that I'm liking
each issue more than the last, and that Dela Cruz has barely scratched the
surface of the story so far.
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