Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Review | Tagged: alex maleev, brian michael bendis, dc comics, dystopia, jinxworld, joshua reed, Scarlet

Scarlet #1 Review: The Revolution Begins Anew

Ice and a pair of men experience trouble while retrieving a supply drop. Later, we see Scarlet giving a speech to her people. Many of them want to take the rest of Portland, but Scarlet is reticent to start going for the whole city yet. They are suddenly attacked by a drone, and their fearless leader must reconsider her position.

I haven't read the previous run of Scarlet, so this is my first experience with the series. I had to try it of course, as it is from the great Brian Michael Bendis, my beloved man with the wonderful taste and hardiness of peanut butter, as well as the very talented Alex Maleev.

What I found was very pleasing. Scarlet is a compelling tale of revolution, seeing the extents one's government may go to maintain power, and how overlooked the poor truly are in a society. Scarlet herself is a fun protagonist and leader, and many of her traits go vastly against the grain of a story like this.

It's hard not to root for an underdog, and that sentiment is writ large into the setup of this series. I'm unaware of much of the context for this revolution the people of Portland are staging, but the characters are interesting enough so that it's easy to take their side.

Alex Maleev doesn't disappoint either, as his artwork is excellent at portraying the gritty and desiccated husk of Portland. The characters appear rough and weathered. The colorwork cleverly highlights Scarlet, setting her apart from other characters by tinting her clothes with her namesake color. Maleev's work is, as always, impeccable.

Scarlet #1 is a promising revival of the Bendis and Maleev series. The story is intriguing and well-presented, the dialogue is clever, and the characters are quite likable. The artwork is as great as you'd expect, and this one earns a recommendation. Give it a read.

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