Written by Rachel Freeman
Mother Panic  is published by DC Comics under their Young Animal imprint. It is written by Jody Houser with art (on this issue) by John Paul Leon.
With Pretty’s reign of terror over, you may think Violet would catch a break for a minute. But you have to remember, she lives in Gotham. And Gotham doesn’t belive in breaks. Returning to her original mission of revenge and sometimes saving others when it’s convinient for her, Mother Panic is struck with a tragedy and with a new threat to her life. While beating up a thug, Mother Panic feels a sharp pain in her chest, even though it subsides, she still seeks out Dr. Varma, simply telling her “I think something’s wrong”. It could be a side effect from the experiments done on her at Gather House, it could be the drinking or the drugs, it could be a heart condition, we are as clueless as Violet.
On top of that, a young girl she saved, Rosie, has just witnessed her parents murdered right before her eyes. Oh, and she’s only seven….sounds very Bruce Wayne-esque if you ask me. Speaking of the Bat, he is ever so watchful still over Mother Panic. Will he decide she’s too big of a risk and remove her himself? Will he recruit her for something bigger? Or wil he just leave her be? Questions, questions, questions.
Pros: This issue was a strong start to our next story arc. I have no idea who the villain is or what they’re after, but I love this crime set-up and Violet’s connection to Rosie. It’s very Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, but it’s still unique. My favorite scene of this issue happens on page 15, the symbolism of the butterfly in darkness that looks to be stuck in a web. It’s such a simple picture, but paired with the scene, it holds so much. I love Violet’s immediate response to seeing thee news is to go to that little girl. She doesn’t know why, as she has said over and over, she isn’t a hero. Yet here she is, the last hope for Rosie to find some peace. And she takes on this mission despite knowing there is something very wrong happening to her body. I like when we get to see this side of Violet. She’s a badass bitch who does what she wants, she can be incredibly cold, but ultimately, she isn’t heartless. She may not be a good person, but she certainly isn’t a bad one. It’s nice to see that side of her.
Cons: Dom’s comment to Dr. Varma just seemed…unnecessary? And ultimately pointless. He says to the doc, “In my experience, falling in love with your boss doesn’t turn out well”. What? I’ll be honest, maybe I’m just slow or blind, but I NEVER got that vibe. I know Dr. Varma cares about Violet, but in love? When did that happen? Why? It just came out of the blue, like – hey by the way! Here’s this plot point! Again, this is just my opinion, but I wasn’t really feeling this means of execution. You don’t have to tell us point blank, let us read and figure it out. Then again, I’ve been reading and didn’t figure it out. So. There’s that.
OVERALL SCORE: 9 / 10
I think this is an excellent kick off to our new story arc and I can’t wait to see where Jody Houser takes us. Also, beautiful artwork from John Paul Leon, I hope we get to see him for more than a couple issues. Be sure to pick up a copy of Mother Panic #7 Â from your local comic store.
Happy reading!
