As Violet Paige rests her body from the punishment, flashes of paint and potential paralysis that comes with being the vigilante Mother Panic, she focuses on researching her latest case, a murder where the culprit, a body bag wearing killer, has seemingly struck at unrelated targets. With the aid of ‘villain’ The Ratcatcher, Violet soon discovers a new connection in her case. And most surprising of all, it will be her identity and past as Violet Paige, not Mother Panic, that may prove to be the essential weapon in her mighty arsenal.
Mother Panic #8
“Victim Complex Part 2”
Written by: Jody Houser
Art by: John Paul Leon
Colors by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: John Workman
Mother Panic created by: Gerard Way, Jody Houser and Tommy Lee Edwards
Mother Panic is the most accessible of all the Young Animal titles, but don’t confuse that with being ‘mainstream’. This is a punk rock superhero book if there ever was one, and is the kind of mosh-pit kick that the Batman family of books can not only take but seems almost necessary. Read on for 11 reasons that Mother Panic #8 is a book to dive into this week.
- Regular artist and co-creator Tommy Lee Edwards is amazing, but there is an ‘indie comics’ feel to John Paul Leon’s delicate line work that is perfect for this issue.
- The subtle ways Batman lore is worked into this book. Like this issues mention of The Court of Owls. Jody Houser is somehow able to create HER own Gotham while it is simultaneous the same Gotham it has always been.
- The design of the body bag wearing killer. Simple, effective and creepy.
- The way letterer John Workman uses font and sound effects is elegant.
- Dave Stewart’s coloring adds a layer of delicate atmosphere that is a perfect symbiosis with the pencils.
- The way word balloons cross panels and images.
- “You’ve met the Bat, Right?”-Violet. “If by ‘met’ you mean “been beaten unconscious by’”-Ratcatcher
- The overall punk rock attitude of the series.
- “Well, it helps that he has the police in his pocket. And his weird child soldier gang”-Ratcatcher
- How awesome Houser makes Ratcatcher. Seriously the guy is GREAT.
- The way the story, at its core, is one of abuse and survival. It’s deep, dark stuff, but not crammed down your throat. It works organically and naturally.
All the Young Animal books are great in their own way, but Mother Panic may be the best way for regular readers of the DCU to wade into these waters. This is a more quiet issue than usual for the series, but don’t let that stop you from picking it up.
