No words. You’ll see.

Hahahahahaha.

That is me laughing joyously after reading this issue. This book is everything I wanted for Jess, pacy, witty, fun...plus BIG seeecrets!

I knew little about the character of Bettie Page going in. As she is portrayed here, she is bright, modest, and quite charming. The comic looks lovely, and has some great banter.

One double splash page from the set of the movie left me in awe. So much going on, and yet so easy to digest.

The plot seems a little tentative so far, but the package is a delight.

I am so happy with this series so far. It not only honours who Jess is but it honours her backstory too.

Octavia Vermis, how did I not see that costume as Hydra in the previews, is an interesting villain. Cold, and unconcerned with anything beyond her own plans.

I cannot wait to see how this series progresses. It’s fun to see Jess cut lose and free of the ties that bind. For too long she’s been a sidekick, even to a degree within her last run, so it’s nice to see the spotlight on her in a solo capacity. more

Solid!

:-)

Hmm, just when I had gotten fully on board this issue takes an unexpected, and not intensely interesting turn. It’ll probably be fun to see how the two disparate plots will combine further down the line but it feels a bit jarring at this stage.

It also threw me that Jessica never offered advice on how to take down Ghost based on her previous history with the character. In fact it came over like she had no knowledge of him at all, and there were no clues to suggest this was on purpose rather than an oversight, which is disappointing either way.

The new artist wasn’t too distracting but I hope we get back to Peralta as I like consistency. more

I was a little picky when this series first began, but no more.

This is such a fun book, and I really enjoyed the little vignettes which demonstrated, even with the eventual reveal, just how well the Vridai had inveigled their way into the psyche of our heroes. In some ways it’s worse, if you cannot trust your own memories then what can you trust?

Tini Howard promised this denouement in her mission statement at the back of issue one, not only has she pulled it off, but I suspect is still holding more back. Brilliantly cunning, with great jokes, all supported by wonderful art and inventive lettering. You need to be reading this series. more

This is more like it. The hit rate for the jokes is high and the drama involving the characters is much more grounded than the concept suggests.

Fun, with magnificent art. There is a lot to unpack here, and I wasn’t quite as amused as I had hoped to be, but it is a refreshingly bizarre idea and the social commentary is spot on.

Test ends on such a sublimely bittersweet moment as we realise the full import of the title. The titular character having finally grown into their own and found their place in life is made to feel as if they were nothing more than a means to an end. Their own ravenous desires having been sated they are forced to watch how that spark has traveled and become greater than themselves.

Okay so this is just plain cool.

The second issue dials up the campy ick, the true horror, and the feels all in one unique and enjoyable package.

Finally the book kicks up a gear, and we begin to get a lot more, pertinent action, and a few more answers.

Oddly, even though the book starts with an almighty fight scene, this issue feels like the calm before the storm.

The family unit has been separated, and are starting to all edge even further adrift. For all the disparate parties survival is beginning to mean very different things, and acceptance of the vagaries of this violent ravaged world could prove to be the undoing of some.
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And just as I was wondering about a seemingly abandoned plot point from an earlier issue, it comes back into focus here adding further menace to the story. more

For such a lovely looking book the horrors on display are both powerful and disturbing.

Here we see the family unit being broken up even more than before, and even after a few short issues, the very fact that this is painful speaks to the skill of the entire team in creating such an involving read.

Highly recommended.

This book is so lean, so mean, and so cut throat it really just reminds me of early Carpenter movies in both scope and mood. And really I can’t say fairer than that.

The way that new and different fractions and elements are introduced is beguiling, it shows such a firm grasp. I am already saddened to know that this is a five parter but recognise that part of its power is in how its density and tautness combine to ratchet up the tension and the stakes. more

I am liking what I see but the “rules” are so vague at this point that I am unsure how much depth or purpose this book is striving fore. Still I am looking forward to finding out.

This is great stuff. It might seem like an odd comparison but this feels like how a horror version of Brubaker and Eptings Criminal might play out, and by anyone’s standards that is a serious compliment.

The human drama is what drives the action and increases the depth of the horrors on show. There are subtle almost filmic touches that infiltrate the art work that amplify the sense of unease and provide motifs that suggest an inevitability that will hound these characters. more

The outright shock of the first issue does not carry over into this issue but that is by no means a bad thing. Instead we get plenty of small creepy moments that invade the story playing with our expectations of where this tale will take us.

It feels not so much that mysteries are being uncovered but that secrets are showing themselves and dragging our protagonists into their clutches which is deeply unnerving as we do not yet understand the intent behind the hauntings. more

Like all good Noir the denouement is, as it should be, perfectly obvious in hindsight. There is even potential for a more hard boiled sequel. If one does appear there are one or two creative wrinkles in the art and conception that I would like to see ironed out, but for now this book still provided a satisfactory ending to a different take onan old trope.

There is such a wealth of imagination here and the art remains so, so pretty.

Now that I have learned to temper my expectations I am having a fun time with this book.

How does my favourite comic just keep managing to outdo my already high expectations?

It must be sorcery! There can be no other explanation for a team being this in synch.

It’s crude, erudite, funny, philosophical, troubling, and just so magnificently bonkers. Do yourself a favour and get on board.

I enjoyed this more than some it seems.

It reminded me a lot of 2000AD Future Shocks which is never a bad thing in my books. I can even see how the story could be developed afterwards.

I enjoyed the world building too, including the dialogue. Makes me very intrigued to see what Karla Pacheco does with Spider-Woman.

Hrrmh!

The second issue is certainly more linear and has a greater pace than the debut but something is still not quite clicking for me. I’m certainly not giving up on Strikeforce as it is fun and has a great premise but it just feels inconsequential.

Nothing wrong with it being just a bit of a romp per se, but we have been advised within the story by Blade, and by the marketing team for the book, that this is terribly important end of world stuff and that the stakes are excruciatingly high, and sadly that element is mostly conspicuous by its absence.

For example, Jessica Drew has some great one-liners this time around which are fairly funny, but this approach coupled with Blade’s later rebuke about her not paying attention conspire to make her look pretty vacuous, undercut her supposed detecting skills, and strip away even the slightest hint of danger. Her gift of snark was always self-depreciating and a way to deal with her own trauma, but she was always highly empathic to underdogs and victims. Here, the look at him line towards Billy positions Jess as part of the group being “antagonistic” towards him, whereas old Skool Jess (at least up to and including Kelly Sue) would have found a way to be kinder.

The Angela/Satana match up is fun and works because it’s also integral to the plot, and is character based in a believable, even heartfelt way. The sharp team up between Monica and Bucky, who get the best action scenes this time around, is also great as it brings out the best in the both of them.

Blade seems a little saddled with the Basil Exposition role but looks badass at all times so carries it well.

The plot doesn’t advance too far, but does pick up some traction once the team lose one of their own, and the stakes suddenly seem marginally higher.

If the book continues in its inoffensive jokey way then I shall just get onboard with that and take it as it comes. But I am still hoping for something with a bit more bite. I want to feel the terror, not just be told in story that it exists. We shall see.


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I had a lot of fun with this comic.

The characters were compelling and the shocks unexpected. It felt really well thought out with some great conflict being stored up for later issues and real sympathy elicited for the various victims and/or mediators.

Looking forward to Issue 2.