Purr Evil is a comic book that caught my attention when the preview of the first issue was released. The concept of a mother and daughter dealing with possible dark magic and what comes with that is very interesting. Mirka Andolfo and Laura Braga is a great creative team who have each done very good work in the past. Now working together I’m interested to see what Andolfo and Braga have in store for us. Find out how Purr Evil #1 turned out with our advance review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Mirka Andolfo
Artist: Laura Braga
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Letterer: Fabio Amelia
SOLICITATION
“THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE MEWING EVIL… Rita loves her daughter Deb, but a dark evil from her past threatens the lives of anyone who gets too close to it. Can the bond between two women overcome a life built on blood and lies? And what secret is lurking in the Morando family’s apartment?
Written by Harvey Award-winning superstar MIRKA ANDOLFO (SWEET PAPRIKA, MERCY, UNNATURAL, Punchline) and illustrated by fan-favorite LAURA BRAGA (WITCHBLADE, Future State: The Next Batman, Harley Quinn, DC Bombshells), PURR EVIL is a stand-out story about the relationship between a mother who gave everything for her daughter and a daughter who needs to figure out her role in a world that she’s about to doom!” – Image Comics
REVIEW
Purr Evil #1 is a comic book that does just enough with its story to tease the reader of the bigger picture that Mirka Andolfo and Laura Braga are creating. This first issue is very much about creating an air of mystery around what is going on with our mother and daughter lead characters, Rita and Deb Morando. Even when the mystery is addressed it is more of a teaser to start drawing the bigger picture Purr Evil will be about. The good thing is the mystery created is one that does have you coming back for more.
An immediate standout when reading Purr Evil #1 is how Andolfo does not hold back in presenting the characters with an edge where you don’t like everyone. It’s not an edge that makes everyone unlikeable. Rather, Andolfo’s focus is on developing more of a real world with characters that reflect their environment. This approach makes it so you learn about each character through the way they interact with one another, giving the overall story a natural pace.
Going with this direction also means that we are give only the basic information on all the characters in Purr Evil. Even the most developed in Rita and Deb Morando, our series leads, are still kept a mystery with what is really driving them. Towards the end of Purr Evil #1 we get more information about what is driving Rita and Deb with the actions they do take and how they interact with the supporting cast. But even then that is more of a teaser to learn more about what the world that Purr Evil is about.
Where Purr Evil #1 shines the most is Laura Braga’s artwork. Braga delivers incredible detail throughout this first issue. Each character is given a unique design that compliments the personality that they show throughout the story. The way this first issue is framed also gives us a good hint to expect even better artwork in future issues as Braga gets to draw long action sequences. All of that is enhanced with Bryan Valenza coloring that makes Braga’s artwork pop off the screen even more.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Purr Evil #1 is a strong debut with Mirka Andolfo and Laura Braga developing characters and a world your immediately invested in. This is all done through a mystery driven by the mother-daughter series leads who are our gateway to something bigger that is going on. This mystery along with great artwork makes Purr Evil #1 a can’t miss.
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10