Never think you have someone cornered … they will only lash out more fiercely.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco
Artwork: J.G. Miranda
Colors: Bryan Velenza
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
What They Say:
Thinking Eve’s responsible for their leader’s death, a group of Specter gang members ambushes her and strings her up in the woods. The group intends to beat and torture Eve, but help arrives in the form of two teens who are hunting nearby. And as things escalate, Eve must make a snap decision to cut bait and run or to save the life of the kid who saved hers.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Leader of the Specters, Colvin, now lies dead and the rest of his followers think The Courier was the true culprit; however, what they do not realize is his real murderer was his own brother – Jansen, and now he has complete control of this motley crew. And so, in the truest meaning of frontier justice, this sadist releases his new troop of hounds upon the settlement to hunt down a supposed killer. It does not take long to track Eve down and of course, these gangsters do not waste time with a trial, instead progressing immediately to the execution. It is only then do two teenagers wander into the fray, unsure of what to do – whether to stay back and watch or rush in to save the helpless woman. But as one hesitates by weighing his own safety, the other takes charge and makes the decision for both.
With weapons drawn, the two adolescents wade into a tense situation, keeping the outlaws at bay, or so they think. As Franklin cuts down Harper, Lucas is taunted by the supposed leader, goading him into shooting – which only makes the circumstance worse. From there things escalate and result in bodies on the ground, with Eve fleeing from another bloodbath, hoping for some way to escape from this standoff. As she and her rescuer part ways, one of the bandits manages to hobble away, now inflaming the tension within this innocent town’s confines. There is only one way out, but she cannot leave behind the teen who risked everything but was rewarded with a bounty now on his head. Artie must find him if they are to leave this place alive, but with the rest of the Specters close in pursuit, it is only a matter of time before they catch up … to either her, him or both.
In Summary:
Just when I thought writer Ralph Tedesco had given The Courier: From the Ashes a better edge with the last issue, he now falls back into the same overused story element – bandits taunting our heroine. As with any clichéd crime drama or other reality-based series in which they want to draw in the audience, this standard turning point becomes the focal climax, and with that, an obligatory bystander swooping in to save the day. While this plot twist was predictable, the opening sequence of humanizing Eve did help to break the mold of this series. It is refreshing to see how her innocence was scourged from the land, even after an apocalypse, and sadly whereby a friendly hand almost changed her path. It is with this type of tangent which Tedesco could have better steered the story, but instead he chose to surrender to the standard within this genre; therefore, instead of this issue becomes something which might have been a departure from the norm, it rather becomes a cliffhanger for a mediocre narrative, on the verge of running out of gas before the finale.
However, even within this disappointing issue, artist J.G. Miranda still manages to shine, especially with the stunning opening sequence. As previously stated, Eve’s childhood was the singular memorable flashback which makes the reader feel for this poor girl; plus, the frantic stress, crisp action and amazing detailing brings the scene to life, allowing us to view this historic moment without any need for interpretation, just staring in wonder as to the trauma which turned her into the determined woman she is now unfold before us. Then to magnify the melodrama, Bryan Valenza restricts himself to a greyscale palette within the journey, only wandering outside of that monotone scenery to extenuate specific areas so as to heighten the gruesome sadness of her past. And while Miranda’s illustrations savagely carry over to the duress of the present, unfortunately Valenza’s tonal choices do not have the same effect; the white framing of the panels does not help with what is supposed to be a nerve racking confrontation, in fact, it has the opposing effect by brightening all colors, bleaching them out in painful ways. Though the violence of the scenes are wholly impressive, the coloring selections ruin any intensity, especially when you see special effects in a bright and unnatural blue.
As the story reaches its climax, it seems at times that both the tale and coloring are working against the artwork to water down the power of what could be a fantastic story. Eve Harper has finally found something to repay Colvin’s kindness, but it was too late to help settle any lingering grudge. But as she races off with the Specters in chase, you have to wonder if she may have another chance in the near future. With the cliffhanger now set, The Courier has once chance to survive, however, will it be enough to save both herself and her passenger?
Grade: B
Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: June 21, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
