Pearl #3
JinxWorld/DC Comics
Words by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: Michael Gaydos
Color by: Michael Gaydos
Letters by: Joshua Reed
So far in Peral, Bendis, and Gaydos give us some really amazing things but muddle it with filler. The series overall has been lots of content with little meaning. This issue doesn’t change much of what has been established in the previous two issues.
In this issue, we find out some answers to the questions we could have gotten answers to earlier, like why are they after Mike and how Peral is connected to the Yakuza. It seems like the series is dragging these things out and adding more to the mix. For every answer, we get two more questions in its place.
Gaydos art is good. This issue allows him to showcase more range with different characters and settings. The use of color is impressive to help highlight some of the unique features of tattoos on the body. The biggest stand out is the improvement in not having the art blend in together. This helped salvage the issues biggest problem.
And that is the story and Bendis lack of speed or urgency. The story feels jumbled as it has no true pace. It jumps wildly from different points and makes flashbacks that could have been handled in the previous issue. This has become a current theme for Bendis in his DC run.
I keep reading Pearl because the concept and idea is really unique and intriguing. Since it’s the creative team behind Jessica Jones, I was all in before reading it. As I keep reading it, I am starting to see the potential for the book with the creative team fixing some of the problems in the story.
At the end, this is an improvement over the last issue. We get to start seeing a forming of a story just the pace is taking us some time to arrive. If the pacing is improved in the next issue Pearl will be a great story. If it’s more of the same as this issue, then it will be a middle of the road story.