Mother Panic #3
DC’s Young Animal
Written by: Jody Houser
Art by: Tommy Lee Edwards
At this point, I think it is safe to say Mother Panic is definitely a slow burn, but in an absolutely good way. We are 3 issues in and there is so much more to learn about Violet but it leaves you wanting more. Let’s dive into “A Work in Progress” Part 3 and see what we’re in for this month.
The story in this issue continues to be highly entertaining and engaging. We get to see how much of a terrible person Violet is but she is put to a test to prove to Batwoman that she does have good in her and can be a hero. I love that the lead character is willing to leave anyone behind and fend for herself and now start to develop into a compassionate character. I knew that this is where this story was going and I’m glad to see Jody Houser start to go that route and deliver on Violet’s character development this early on. I am a sucker for villains or anti heroes turn a new leaf as it is such a deep character archetype. The Violet vs Batwoman fight is definitely the highlight of the issue. The choreography is top notch and it perfectly sets up their relationship for future encounters, which I am sure we will get much more of. Violet has Batman and Batwoman’s eye’s on her right now and I can’t wait for them to interact more. A slight negative I have with this issue is the swearing. Now, I don’t have a problem with swearing whatsoever, especially in comic books. But here, it seemed a tad forced to me as maybe one too many F-bombs were dropped. It seemed a little gratuitous.
The art in the issue still impresses me as Tommy Lee Edwards does an amazing job at depicting the violent city of Gotham. Even in the daytime scenes, the art is grim with the sketch style that perfectly fits this story. Batwoman’s design even looks creepy at times. The poetic imagery of Violets fight moves are at full force in this issue as well, confirming that this is the way Edwards will continue to depict Violet’s feelings and emotions while she fights. Instead of all these images taking a whole panel like previous issue, this time a few of them are apart of the fight scene panels, seamlessly integrating them into the story. I slightly do wish Edwards eventually explains this artistic choice to include these but I also hope not as I love speculating about what the images represent.
Mother Panic continues to impress me and quenches my thirst for a dark, antiheroic story. The art has a gothic feel to it, perfect for Gotham City. I am excited to continue to learn more about Violet’s story and watch her character develop. The eventual regular Batfamily interactions has me excited for what will come of this book. As the story slowly builds up, the more you keep wanting more and I am sure they will deliver on this in future issues.