The series draws to a close with a nod to what’s to come.
Creative Staff:
Story: Jody Houser
Art: Shawn Crystal
Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: John Workman, Shawn Crystal
What They Say:
With the true face of an old friend revealed, Violet Paige must fight her way free or risk Mother Panic becoming a part of Gala’s grisly art exhibit. Back at home a disturbing revelation about Rebecca’s mental state comes to light. Includes the finale of “Gotham Radio” by the acclaimed team of Jim Krueger and Phil Hester!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Mother Panic brings this arc of the series to a close and it’s one that also serves as closure in a greater sense, as though Violet is in a new place and serving as a “season” finale. Which it essentially is as there are no other issues solicited and Violet’s next appearance is in a Milk Wars crossover event that I haven’t read anything about. For this issue, Houser and Crystal bring everything to a very good place that allows this to serve as a perfect jumping off and jumping on point if there’s more as Violet is almost a different character in a way. All of it is really well put together and a lot of that is owed to Beaulieu’s color work that makes it distinctive and moody but also hits up some really bold moments.
Violet’s having been captured by Gala has made for some interesting setup for this finale and just the whole minimalist art thing works well with what she has, including the giant statue in which she has Violet being held. There’s a lot of the usual banter that gets underway here with Violet taunting Gala while trying to get her head cleared and a good part of that time is used to show more flashbacks to Gather House where a young Violet was escaping with Jane and we saw how badly that all went, leading to Jane’s being even more twisted by the place and Violet’s own change as “seventeen’ becoming more intense. It further establishes the bond the two shared but also the tragedy that lead to them being separated and put through the wringer even more.
It’s little surprise to see Violet escape from the simple chains once she gets her bearings and to go up against Gala directly. The nods toward The Collective fit the expected bill here in showing the bigger picture and who could be surprised about Gala escaping as even Violet comments on the way that the bad guys seem to do this easily but don’t stay away. What’s rough is the extended sequence with Violet having to fight Jane and go the distance on it in a brutal way that really had me re-reading those panels a few times to make sure I got it. Part of what distracted me is that it ran alongside the side story of Violet’s mother talking to Dom and essentially talking about what Violet was going through as she shares a twisted bond with her daughter. It circles around to this at the end in a really good way, humanizing Violet even more now and giving us a lot of potential for what’s next.
In Summary:
With the Young Animal line dealing with a weird crossover event with Justice League coming up and Mother Panic being a part of that with a Batman/Mother Panic special, this series feels like it’s hit a concluding point that makes me really kind of surprised and unhappy. I love what Houser and the rotating art teams did on this title and I want a lot more of it, which I hope will get picked up with either a new series or a continuation in 2018. This issue works a lot of things out and puts Violet in a new place, using the Mother Panic name and getting closer to her mother while also cutting more ties to her past in a brutal way. This is definitely a very fun book with some great designs that fits perfect in the Young Animal imprint. More, please!
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: DC Comics/Young Animal via ComiXology
Release Date: October 25th, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
