By: Rachel Freeman
Mother Panic is published by DC Comics under their Young Animal imprint. It is written by Jody Houser with art by Shawn Crystal.
Violet’s thirst for violence and revenge is boiling over outside of her vigilante work. But her scope has narrowed, she is only after the specific people responsible. However, her new ally, Pretty, wants to destroy everyone even connected to them (like children), which is where Mother Panic draws the line. Pretty cannot cope with her rejection and thus, she is to be destroyed along with everyone else. Mother Panic has two things on her side, 1. she’s not totally insane (but she’s definitely not totally sane either) and 2. she has an ally she doesn’t even know about…yet.
In this issue, Violet is sassy as always and she handles rejection surprisingly well. I mean, yeah she goes out and drinks alone to cope, but hey, she could have just started throwing punches. She also holds her alcohol well. Like, damn. Go out drinking, sleep for an hour, abruptly woken up, and then here she is – ready as Mother Panic to fight and totally coherent. Meanwhile, her mother may seem crazier by the day, but I don’t think she’s crazy anymore. I mean, maybe Alzheimer’s, but she definitely sees and hears things that are real. Though, we readers and even Violet cannot see them. But there’s something going on there. Mother Panic works alone though, she’s never had hostages. So when Pretty breaks in to her home and takes some, someone…something…unexpected comes to their aid.
Pros: Ok. So in this issue, we don’t see a whole lot of action from Mother Panic. It’s mostly just Pretty being insane. Really, a lot of insanity in this issue. And you can see it in the art. The colors, the way the shapes and faces blend and distort. I think my favorite part of this issue was Violet’s mother and her doctor. Even when Pretty confronts her with a knife, the good doctor isn’t even remotely afraid. And her mother? The scene with her on a giant mushroom, talking to tiny rat-shaped shadows? Amazing. Like an even more messed up Alice in Wonderland. Also, Otis. The rat guy? I won’t spoil anything, but he’s pretty great in this issue as well. The art has also grown on me. Although I like Shawn Crystal’s art, I initially wasn’t sure how I felt about them switching artists, but with this issue, I have decided that I’m definitely ok with it.
Cons: How do people keep just waltzing in to Violet’s house? She lives in a giant mansion, I get that, it’s not like she can hear everything. But is there no security at all? So alarms? Cameras? Anything? I know Otis went in through the basement, ok, that one can slide. But Pretty just walks in and takes the doc hostage. I mean, it lead to a cool scene, but it felt a little too easy for him. Especially when, again, Violet is all about keeping her mom and her loved ones safe.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.8 / 10
I don’t know that I want to give it a full 9 because that con was a pretty big one to me, but I also think it deserves more than an 8. So that’s where I landed! Make sure to pick up your copy of Mother Panic #6 from your local comic store!
Happy reading!
