Stephanie Kay
Oct 14, 2007, 11:15 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/image/1106/strangegirl_13.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/image/1106/strangegirl_13t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Strange Girl #13"></a> Reviewer: Stephanie Kay, children_of_paradise@hotmail.co.uk
Story Title: Untitled
“Finally, on a most unpleasant day, Bethany discovered the opportunity to change her part in the play had past…there is a point of no return, a point when it is no longer an act…it becomes a life.”
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Micah Farritor
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Lettering: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Micah Farritor
Publisher: Erik Larson
President: Todd McFarlane
Published by: <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com/" target="new">Image Comics</a>
Back in June 2005 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=34178), I reviewed the opening issue of Rick Remender’s surrealistic, parodist and occasionally controversial Image series, a comic which since its early days of black comedic adventurism has developed itself numerous times over into starkly alternative styles. That seems, on the outset at the very least, due to the inclusion of several immensely varying artists - it has perhaps too provided Strange Girl with its own backdrop of critical success; insomuch that this comic strives for daring directions with each arc, and most often achieves what it aims for with flying colors.
Bethany Black has indeed become the poster-girl for the Image entourage, a deliberate reversal of the industry’s traditional archetypal portrayal of young women: she is of course, Remender with a bigger chest. She has also been quite literally, subsumed in the depths of hell, and yet also retained a sense of understanding and pathos to any allies she’s encountered in ‘strange’ places, presenting a growth in self maturity. The genre of dark religious fantasy has not been frequented as much as would be expected within comics and in contrast to works such as Hellblazer and Lucifer, the mythological elements here are of a more intrinsically religious nature – a topic perhaps given the wide berth due to discussions of accessibility.
However whether one agrees with apocalyptic cleansing (and its current centricity in the western world) is beside the point - Strange Girl is also one of the best examples of a primarily character-concerned comic with a female lead. Bethany has changed – and whereas readers may have expected this to have occurred quite instantaneously from issue #1 (being that this comic dealt with a post-Rapture world, a rather ‘mild’ environment to be sure), it wasn’t the immediate route. Although the hellish imagery was always present, it was almost a daze of unfathomable monstrosity. Bethany was ‘left’, a victim, by ‘merely’ and indignantly refusing the restraints of the Christian finalism and hypocrisy that she viewed. Spunky determinism kept her afloat although the saying “curiosity killed the cat” is very applicable here.
There was always a more personal price. We’ve now seen the destructive elements finally catch up with her, and take their toll (especially on her trusty demon-steed-come-guardian Bloato). The affects of everything she’s witnessed have taken a while for them to needle their way into the protagonist and actually disturb her.
And it has finally arrived, 12 issues later in all its slightly troubling glory. Strange Girl #13 is Bethany Black starting Guilt in its eyes.
Hell is almost a reflection upon Bethany’s personal deterioration, and also a microcosm of the breakdown spirals that have already been seen elsewhere on a larger scale. This is not now simply a comic about Bethany ascending (or not) into heaven, but almost her descent further into hell via the confused state and battle over an impending second coming of God. Any attitudes and lies Beth has held up to this point really do get shaken around in this issue. The artistic depictions of the apocalyptic post-Rapture world by artists such Eric Nguyen, Harper Jaten, Jerome Opena and horror maestro Nick Stakal have been impressive in their individuality on this book. Here Micah Farritor takes over art duties for a brief outing, with the exacting job of presenting ‘the trapped hell’, and the internal world/s seeping through. It is very much a dark fairytale of disfigurement and sketchiness; Bethany witnesses the ‘versions’ of herself – caricatures – facial features and inflated emotions being twisted across the page. It isn’t pretty, or even consistent perhaps, but the various inner ‘chapters’ behind each ‘door’ each exhibit their own separate parodies and approach.
The imagery of bestial creatures, stage performances, and telling devil-costumes produce an end result which is incredibly memorable even on first initial reading. Michelle Madsen is also on fine form during this gloomy fable – the overall affect she creates is actually quite reminiscent, for me anyway, of Mike Mignola’s latest instalments of the B.P.R.D. franchise, most especially The Black Flame and last years sublime The Universal Machine. There is however more injected sexualised imagery into the horror of Strange Girl, something Micah Farritor stylishly incorporated in the highly acclaimed Night Trippers.
The nuanced approach makes for some highly profound moments during this issue; the cover perfectly demonstrates the tormented ensnaring of our female heroines as she is forced to re-examine (amongst other things) the memories of her father, Bloato and of course, religious belief. The most damaging however, is arguably when Bethany witnesses her own hypothetical self destruction and the future which ‘never’ was. Micah’s art is especially raw during these brief glimpses; genuine human dignity being stripped in the most saddening of fashions. The character will understandably most likely be irreversibly altered – the preview for the next issue shows Stakal astutely drawing a parody of one of Hamlet’s most famous soliloquies (http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7582/file0721xt6.jpg), but instead including a demon skull. Make of that what you will; there’s enough underlying meaning to make a brain implode.
I’m also hard pushed to think of issues Remender has written which top his poignant commentary here – lyrically the topics of religion can often feel quite stifled or contrived after long usage, so this makes the success all the more impressive. Remender’s preoccupations with the tyrannical order have often been written from Bethany’s own perspective, but here he offers the narration to another – the deep irony is of course felt because they do speak some truth. The forced conclusions Bethany arrives at the end of issue #13 are ones which the reader can fully appreciate - which is perhaps the most startling thing of all. Along with The Walking Dead and Casanova, Strange Girl is one of Image’s best exponents in the on-going market.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/inone.jpg
Buy Strange Girl online now from X-WORLD and save! ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1863&cat=STRANGE+GIRL)
Story Title: Untitled
“Finally, on a most unpleasant day, Bethany discovered the opportunity to change her part in the play had past…there is a point of no return, a point when it is no longer an act…it becomes a life.”
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Micah Farritor
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Lettering: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Micah Farritor
Publisher: Erik Larson
President: Todd McFarlane
Published by: <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com/" target="new">Image Comics</a>
Back in June 2005 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=34178), I reviewed the opening issue of Rick Remender’s surrealistic, parodist and occasionally controversial Image series, a comic which since its early days of black comedic adventurism has developed itself numerous times over into starkly alternative styles. That seems, on the outset at the very least, due to the inclusion of several immensely varying artists - it has perhaps too provided Strange Girl with its own backdrop of critical success; insomuch that this comic strives for daring directions with each arc, and most often achieves what it aims for with flying colors.
Bethany Black has indeed become the poster-girl for the Image entourage, a deliberate reversal of the industry’s traditional archetypal portrayal of young women: she is of course, Remender with a bigger chest. She has also been quite literally, subsumed in the depths of hell, and yet also retained a sense of understanding and pathos to any allies she’s encountered in ‘strange’ places, presenting a growth in self maturity. The genre of dark religious fantasy has not been frequented as much as would be expected within comics and in contrast to works such as Hellblazer and Lucifer, the mythological elements here are of a more intrinsically religious nature – a topic perhaps given the wide berth due to discussions of accessibility.
However whether one agrees with apocalyptic cleansing (and its current centricity in the western world) is beside the point - Strange Girl is also one of the best examples of a primarily character-concerned comic with a female lead. Bethany has changed – and whereas readers may have expected this to have occurred quite instantaneously from issue #1 (being that this comic dealt with a post-Rapture world, a rather ‘mild’ environment to be sure), it wasn’t the immediate route. Although the hellish imagery was always present, it was almost a daze of unfathomable monstrosity. Bethany was ‘left’, a victim, by ‘merely’ and indignantly refusing the restraints of the Christian finalism and hypocrisy that she viewed. Spunky determinism kept her afloat although the saying “curiosity killed the cat” is very applicable here.
There was always a more personal price. We’ve now seen the destructive elements finally catch up with her, and take their toll (especially on her trusty demon-steed-come-guardian Bloato). The affects of everything she’s witnessed have taken a while for them to needle their way into the protagonist and actually disturb her.
And it has finally arrived, 12 issues later in all its slightly troubling glory. Strange Girl #13 is Bethany Black starting Guilt in its eyes.
Hell is almost a reflection upon Bethany’s personal deterioration, and also a microcosm of the breakdown spirals that have already been seen elsewhere on a larger scale. This is not now simply a comic about Bethany ascending (or not) into heaven, but almost her descent further into hell via the confused state and battle over an impending second coming of God. Any attitudes and lies Beth has held up to this point really do get shaken around in this issue. The artistic depictions of the apocalyptic post-Rapture world by artists such Eric Nguyen, Harper Jaten, Jerome Opena and horror maestro Nick Stakal have been impressive in their individuality on this book. Here Micah Farritor takes over art duties for a brief outing, with the exacting job of presenting ‘the trapped hell’, and the internal world/s seeping through. It is very much a dark fairytale of disfigurement and sketchiness; Bethany witnesses the ‘versions’ of herself – caricatures – facial features and inflated emotions being twisted across the page. It isn’t pretty, or even consistent perhaps, but the various inner ‘chapters’ behind each ‘door’ each exhibit their own separate parodies and approach.
The imagery of bestial creatures, stage performances, and telling devil-costumes produce an end result which is incredibly memorable even on first initial reading. Michelle Madsen is also on fine form during this gloomy fable – the overall affect she creates is actually quite reminiscent, for me anyway, of Mike Mignola’s latest instalments of the B.P.R.D. franchise, most especially The Black Flame and last years sublime The Universal Machine. There is however more injected sexualised imagery into the horror of Strange Girl, something Micah Farritor stylishly incorporated in the highly acclaimed Night Trippers.
The nuanced approach makes for some highly profound moments during this issue; the cover perfectly demonstrates the tormented ensnaring of our female heroines as she is forced to re-examine (amongst other things) the memories of her father, Bloato and of course, religious belief. The most damaging however, is arguably when Bethany witnesses her own hypothetical self destruction and the future which ‘never’ was. Micah’s art is especially raw during these brief glimpses; genuine human dignity being stripped in the most saddening of fashions. The character will understandably most likely be irreversibly altered – the preview for the next issue shows Stakal astutely drawing a parody of one of Hamlet’s most famous soliloquies (http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7582/file0721xt6.jpg), but instead including a demon skull. Make of that what you will; there’s enough underlying meaning to make a brain implode.
I’m also hard pushed to think of issues Remender has written which top his poignant commentary here – lyrically the topics of religion can often feel quite stifled or contrived after long usage, so this makes the success all the more impressive. Remender’s preoccupations with the tyrannical order have often been written from Bethany’s own perspective, but here he offers the narration to another – the deep irony is of course felt because they do speak some truth. The forced conclusions Bethany arrives at the end of issue #13 are ones which the reader can fully appreciate - which is perhaps the most startling thing of all. Along with The Walking Dead and Casanova, Strange Girl is one of Image’s best exponents in the on-going market.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/ifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/inone.jpg
Buy Strange Girl online now from X-WORLD and save! ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1863&cat=STRANGE+GIRL)