Redlands #3
Image Comics
Written and Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
Art by: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Redlands introduces us to bounty hunter Laurent. There is more to him than meets the eye, and that’s not including his relationship with one of the witches.
I got to give it to Jordie Bellaire, she continues to keep me guessing on what’s going to happen next. Every time it feels like she’s setting something, things go in a different direction. The new characters and additions to the story are never boring. Unofficial bounty hunter, Laurent, is a neat addition to the comic book. The newspaper clippings at the end were a very clever way to build the lore of the character.
On one hand, this issue surprises you with two big events. But on the other hand, it felt too early for any of it to happen. Like in my last review, there was a lot of potential story left to tell. If the consequences of these events stick, then I’m not really sure where this series is headed, which isn’t a bad thing. Though this issue felt really short for some reason, I don’t believe there were fewer pages, it just went by quick.
If you follow artist Vanesa Del Rey on Instagram, then you’ll know she likes to draw her fair share of risqué art. She really got to flex that muscle in this issue, but her art style is so surreal that the explicit scenes never feel gratuitous. Her characters always ooze charisma, even if they’re just leaning on a counter. The panels that took place during the day were great, I love the way the colors made the sky pop. Or the smudging effect used to make some of the clouds that reminded me of watercolor.
This was a very confusing issue, but not bad by any means. The art, as always, was magnificent. Admittedly, I can’t imagine not loving Vanesa Del Rey’s pencils. The story went quick, but everything in it was interesting and meaningful to the story. I’m not sure where the story goes from here, though I can say without a doubt that I’m interested to find out.