TWISTED ROMANCE #1 REVIEW
Summary: Twisted love stories just in time for Valentine's Day!
4
Enjoyable read!
Writer Alex de Campi joins forces with some of the industries most talented writers and artists to spin a series of tales about love lost, love gained, weird love, messy love and complicated love. The first issue in this new anthology mini-series showcases three short-stories about a business that specialises in breaking couples up, a supernatural love story and a surreal tale about love after death.
Old Flames in New York City during 1978, where we meet a man named Misha who operates a business called Heartbreak Incorporated. As the name suggests, this business specialises is causing heartbreak, mainly by being employed by scorned lovers seeking to tear couples apart. A new customer approaches Misha, requesting that he takes care of a harlot who has been caught sleeping with her nightclub owning husband. Agreeing to take on the contract, Misha ventures out that night to the club, expecting business as usual. What he doesn’t anticipate is that the woman in question is an old partner of his, who is both captivating and incredibly dangerous. Both Misha and this mysterious woman share a dark and sinister secret that they are both willing to kill for.
I really enjoyed this opening story, finding it to be an interesting take on a love story, with a sexy supernatural edge. To me it felt more like a horror story, rather than a love story, as it has a dark and sinister twist that I found to be rather unexpected. It explores some pretty unusual otherworldly concepts, and I was pleasantly surprised with how they unfolded., finding that it kept the narrative fresh and original. Katie Skelly’s drawings have a vibrant and graphic quality to them, that is both stylish and sexy. I really love the effortless simplicity of her art, finding it to possess a boldly unique aesthetic, and this combined with her eye-catching use of block colours makes for a clever and cohesive visual narrative.
We then have a short supernatural love story called Leather & Lace by Magen Cubed, that explores the complex relationship between a vampire named Dorian and his monster hunting colleague, Cash Leroy. I rather enjoyed delving into this forbidden love story about desire, seduction and adventure, finding it to be a highly engaging romantic romp. The final story, Red Medusa, written and illustrated by Sarah Horrocks, is a surreal jaunt into a love story about loss and death. A woman, who I’m assuming is Medusa, has lost the love of her life and out of bitterness and spite decides to enter hell to retrieve her beloved. There is a lot of joining the dots with this narrative and to be honest, I’m unsure whether my interpretation of this story is correct. Out of all the stories, I’m the most puzzled by this one, finding it to be a bit of an enigma that is open to a loose interpretation by the reader. That necessarily isn’t a bad thing but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The art is wonderfully expressive and chaotic, fully embracing a sense of hellish abandon that matches the calamitous pacing of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the first issue of Twisted Romance, finding it to be a highly enjoyable and engaging read. The haphazard combination of stories is a fun and wild ride that I found to be clever and immersive. Next week, the second issue comes out and I’m looking forward to seeing what radical treats are in store for us!
I’m giving this issue 4 out of 5 stars!
COMIC DETAILS
CREATIVE TEAM: Alex de Campi, Katie Skelly, Sarah Horrocks and Magen Cubed
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLICATION DATE: February 07, 2018
REVIEWER: Dana Folkard
About the Author
Dana Folkard An absolute nerd with a passion for all things sci-fi! Lover of comics, coffee and Geralt of Rivia. Mother of Dragons!
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