It’s a question of soul.
Creative Staff:
Story: Patrick Kindlon
Art: Stefano Simeone
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
What They Say:
As Khalee strives to maintain order in the newly forming society of the unnatural, a trickster walks among the monsters, encouraging dissent not only among the ghouls and goblins and manticores, but among the humans as well.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With a bit longer between installments, Patrick Kindlon faces the problem of the single issue reader in whether to really write for the big picture or handle things in the here and now. When folks get to read this in trade format it’ll likely read a lot better because I went through this issue barely remembering who is who – especially as most people go unnamed. Kindlon’s moving the story forward and there are a lot of changes in situations going on here in order to set up for the finale. Simeone’s artwork continues to delight, especially with the color design, and this world design is just kind of surreal in a way. I still can’t quite visualize it within reality in order to understand it and that’s part of the draw.
With this issue, we hit the penultimate installment with the finale looming ahead and I couldn’t be more lost. Normally, most books work a two-track storyline as they barrel toward a conclusion but I think there are five or six storylines going on here that will connect. Unfortunately, most of them don’t provide the minor recap needed to connect us after the gap of an issue and Kindlon avoids using names for the most part and that makes it even harder. The corporate side is dealing with its own plans and machinations in this issue while trying to decide what to do with the guy who they think has gone rogue. And he’s still off outside trying to set things right, running into a hermit in a cave that bartered fish for some sweet kitchen countertops from the store to build out his place. Pursuits are moving along and tensions are rising but there’s a lack of something cohesive to latch onto. It’s been probably close to two months since I read the previous issue, which was problematic with its own self, and coming into this one now it’s even worse.
In Summary:
Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated started on a real high with a couple of characters and a neat premise to explore. But the further that it’s gone on the more characters it introduced and dangling plots that pull us all over the place as we go through what’s happening there. Each cuts into the other and it’s hard to really get behind some of the stories as there’s not enough there to give it weight. I really love the artwork and the concepts are fascinating but the execution is just leaving me very frustrated, more so with each new installment.
Grade: C
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: January 29th, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
