Scarlett had a strong debut issue from the creative team of Kelly Thompson and Marco Ferrari. By the end of the first issue we understood the scope of the mission statement for this series. Scarlett, in order to save her best friend, Jinx, must infiltrate Clan Arashikage. Though based on what we saw of Jinx it doesn’t look like she needs “saving.” Making things even more difficult is the presence of Storm Shadow, who appeared at the end of the first issue. Let’s find out how things go next with Scarlett #2.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Marco Ferrari
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rus Wooton
SCARLETT #2 SOLICITATION
“In order to find her missing friend Jinx, Scarlett goes undercover, deep into the belly of Clan Arashikage, to discover the truth. But the man known as Storm Shadow might have other ideas…” – Skybound and Image Comics
REVIEW
Kelly Thompson and Marco Ferrari knew exactly what they needed to do to make sure they kept the momentum going with Scarlett #2. It wasn’t just the momentum of the first issue that they were carrying. It was the momentum of the developments we have seen go on throughout all the G.I. JOE comic books in the Energon Universe. That is a tall task that Thompson and Ferrari are already showing they are able to leap over successfully.
The biggest part of keeping up the G.I. JOE’s franchise momentum is the fact they aren’t holding back the stakes involved in Scarlett’s infiltration of Clan Arashikage. This mission isn’t for the feint of heart. It takes a tough heart and spirit to make sure they do every right move to integrate themselves into the deadly clan of ninjas while figuring out how to save someone already embedded. That is exactly the focus we see Scarlett #2 have from beginning to end.
This focus allows the story to spotlight how much of a badass Scarlett is. And it is not just as a badass fighter, which she proves with how she easily defeats several Clan Arashikage members. The badass character that she is also comes from what she brings to the table as a spy. As soon as she was given her mission Scarlett knew exactly how to communicate the story she needed to convince the Clan Arashikage’s leadership to join their ranks.
Capturing voice through her interactions with Storm Shadow and Hard Master establish the badass spy Scarlett is. Mixing in what we’ve already seen go down in the other G.I. JOE Energon Universe comic books added to how convincing Scarlett’s story was. Because we’ve seen in Duke and other titles that the US government is not to be trusted, with many real world elements put into play. Scarlett used her own knowledge of the government to have this story of why she is defecting and wants to join Clan Arashikage well told.
At the same time, as convincing as Scarlett is it does not mean becoming part of Clan Arashikage will be easy. We’ve already seen that Scarlett will have to do some extreme stuff to make her cover work. The mission she gets at the end puts into question how far she is willing to go to make her mission successful.
Which is where the flashback showing some of Scarlett and Jinx’s history together works even better. We the sisterly bond they had as best friends that was told to us be shown on screen. The chemistry Scarlett and Jinx have with one another is clear. It builds further anticipation for how heir next interaction in the present will go down and what it will mean for the mission in this series.
Ferrari’s artwork was solid and got the job done. It wasn’t as strong as the first issue. There were many moments that appeared rushed with the lack of detail in character designs. These moments stand out more when we get some strong fight choreography and detailed facial reactions at various points in this issue. Hopefully the artwork can gain a better consistency to help elevate the story being told.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Scarlett #2 nails putting over the title character as badass fighter and spy. Establishing that was key in making the infiltration of Clan Arashikage work. Where things are left create even more excitement to see how Scarlett can survive and be successful in the mission she was given.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
Check a preview of pages from Scarlett #2 by clicking here.
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