Written by, Saladin Ahmed
Art by, Sami Kivela
Colors by, Jason Wordie
Letters by, Jim Campbell
Recap
In the last issue Elena has been fired by the newspaper following a meeting with another paranormal creature. She is distraught and confused but still curious about what is really happening: Why she was fired and what is plaguing Detroit?
In this issue, Elena wakes from a night of smoking cigarettes and remembering the individuals connected to the paranormal occurrences in the city. She goes to work and meets with Fred from the newspaper to find out why she was fired. Fred tells her that someone named, “Bellcamp” complained to the board who fired her. Bellcamp is the professor she interviewed in the previous issue. He filed a complaint accusing her of assaulting him.
Elena then meets with her ex., Sergeant James Gratham, who tells her to stop working this case. She leaves to meet Sebastian, the owner of Sebastian Crowe’s Aquarian Emporium, and finds him transformed into a paranormal creature. She learns something important about stopping the creatures; however, Sebastian is lost in the process. She continues to follow Bellcamp’s trail by visiting the Hall of Records and matching information she has about the location of the past murders to predict the address for the next paranormal occurrence.
Elena’s investigations and interviews lead her to the realization that she is all alone in her pursuit of the paranormal mystery. Despite this, she goes to “Boston-Edison” where she finds two more creatures, the first she disposes. However, the second creature is someone dear to her heart but who is now half wolf:Wardell, the diner owner’s son.
Final Impressions
The character, Elena Abbott, her experiences and her connections to the larger community drive my interest in this story. Elena’s character is developed through the dialogue between her and key relationships. It’s also driven by the themes of the story: overcoming oppression and racial inequality through determination and skillful investigation. The paranormal elements create the mystery and reinforce the depth of the struggle for Elena. However, it’s her industrious and never-give-in perspective that creates the tension in the story. The art beautifully supports the well-crafted story. The city landscapes, character representations, and facial expressions move the underlying emotional themes of the book wonderfully.
