cape may ( )

Pretty amateurish in its political "edginess", but the story is fast-paced and engaging. I'll probably regret this rating, but I like Maleev's art so I'm being generous. ( )

Quite an innovative graphic novel from the creators of Moon Knight. Scarlet is a girl whose life is turned upside down by the random and destructive actions of a corrupt cop. She decides to take action, and her action leads to a social movement. The artwork is good and the design is striking. Scarlet breaks the fourth wall by talking directly to the reader. It's well done. ( )

It seems that I’m on a wild swing right now when it comes to graphic novels, moving from utterly craptastic books like DC’s [b:Bizarro|26067586|Bizarro|Heath Corson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1453058019s/26067586.jpg|46003304] and Dark Horse’s [b:Red Sonja: The Black Tower|24696524|Red Sonja The Black Tower|Frank Tieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449267314s/24696524.jpg|44315580] to outstanding books like the recent run of [a:Nathan Edmondson|3247665|Nathan Edmondson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1329138382p2/3247665.jpg]’s Black Widow series (Marvel, of course) and the exceptional American Vampire series by [a:Scott Snyder|70026|Scott Snyder|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1337783422p2/70026.jpg]. [b:Scarlet, Book 1|10023145|Scarlet, Book 1|Brian Michael Bendis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348440842s/10023145.jpg|14918610] fits firmly into the latter category, coming in at very nearly five stars.

The storyline is simple and very timely: a corrupt cop (and his supporting system) guns down an innocent teenager and his girlfriend. Girl, Scarlet Rue, survives and sets off a “new” American revolution in the city of Portland, Oregon. In doing so, we see someone actually tackling society’s malaise and slow slide into chaos, fighting headlong into the apathy and setting a tinderbox ablaze.

The best thing about the storyline itself is the removal of the fourth wall: the reader is addressed directly by Scarlet, and actually drawn into the drama, invited to take part in the revolution when she asks directly for the readers’ help. Good stuff, and a unique way to suck the reader right into the plot.

The artwork by Alex Maleev is perfectly harsh, almost like looking a news report through a hyper-realistic lens. The shadows are what really drive this realism. For example, Scarlet is obviously in direct sunlight in several panels, and while she is squinting, the downward shadows almost make it feel like a grainy photograph. He has captured simply the reality of Portland, along with the intensity of what Scarlet is facing. ( )

The art was great, the general idea was great, but even though I like Bendis' work I'm not sure I liked his characters having conversations with the reader... I didn't hook me. ( )