Nowhere is ever safe … especially for inexperienced tourists.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Chelsea Cain
Supplemental Art: Lia Mitternique & Stella Greenvoss
Artwork: Elise McCall
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: Joe Caramagna
What They Say:
Super-agent Nora Freud is fine, thank you. Yes, she’s stuck on an island in the Bermuda Triangle without a clear mission. She’s running low on sunscreen. Her sister has just arrived. And the body of a man Nora recently assassinated just floated in with the tide. But. She. Has. This. Totally. Under. Control.
Content (please note that portions of the review may contain spoilers):
As Nora tries to settle into her newest assignment, meeting old allies and new enemies, plus mixing business with pleasure, and yet not everything has been going her way, especially when she sees someone unexpected arriving on the next morning’s charter ship – her sister Connie the marine cryptozoologist. But when Harry asks about her intentions for visiting the island, his fellow spy cannot but voice her contempt with a derisive attitude, mockingly stating there probably is a mermaid problem in the area. Even if they are siblings, Nora unerringly avoids her until they finally meet at the weekly tourist party thrown by the Bermuda Triangle Preservation Society, a celebration commemorating a cultural event of the island’s inhabitants, appropriately called the Call of the Kraken. However, their conversation begins with a caustic start, with the pair exchanging terse words before Connie admitting she is here on business, only then proudly showing off her badge as a Special Officer of the Institute for Marine Cryptozoology. And yet the feisty redhead is not surprised, monotonically repeating the contents of a special communication she found in her half-sister’s purse, never admitting she took the liberty of searching for the information.
But before Connie can ask about a distant light she sees bobbing on the horizon, Nora abruptly drags her off to the celebration at hand, with the gathered shockingly aroused from their alcoholically induced comas due to the ear-splitting cry of a local trumpeting on a conch shell. As colorfully decorated entertainers stage a ritualized dance of placation and parade before them, no one able to do anything except to watch in forced silence, with all remembering the last time this event was performed, and the bloody results it created. The only one intrepid enough to break the calm is Connie, mournfully asking Nora if she is even happy her sister came for a visit, with the cold sibling voicelessly replying with another long sip from her pineapple enclosed Chardonnay Garden. However as the guests continue to contemplate past losses, the lull is broken as several of the cast members interrupt escorting a stunned woman they found on the beach, her eyes transfixed and all she can do is mutter several phrases in German. After the community ambulance service is summoned to take her away, Connie impedes the emergency crew’s duty as she presents her badge and voices credentials, only able to tell Nora the only obvious word both can understand – mermaid.
In Summary:
You cannot but become immediately fascinated by the manner in which writer Chelsea Cain decides to present the opening scene of this issue, seamlessly integrating the frightening closing of the prior and allowing Nora to utilize a monotone monologue narration, all as a little boy searches for mermaid teeth, and our ever pessimistic protagonist points out all of the things one should not do, allowing the reader to inappropriately giggle under their breath. For as with any foreshadowing moment such as this, we subconsciously know what will happen next, and yet even with the menace of her callous words signaling the inevitable, you still want to scream out to the child in warning, all while knowing there is nothing that will change what is to come. But this traumatic event smoothly leads into the meeting of bitter siblings, with Nora acknowledging beforehand the only reason she is here is due to an increase of mermaid sightings, even if this marine cryptozoologist tries to break the ice with her estranged sister using a glib remark about saying hello. It is this caustic exchange which reinforces the strain of their relationship, as anyone who has a sibling knows, there are times when you do not get along with them and it may or not be mended over time, and yet we can see the latter is true in this barren case. The reader can almost feel the tangible tension between the two women, with Nora feeding off a past wrong and harshly correcting and berating Connie, with the spy disapprovingly objecting to this half-sister’s career choice, even as the one in question shows off credentials to prove her wrong, even goading into another confrontation after denying she searched someone’s purse for information. You can immediately see the redhead is the dominant one of this relationship, with the brunette constantly seeking approval from her sister, even as she chases after her within the story and Nora never recognizes this child as an independent woman who doesn’t need to lean on her anymore. Connie is being constantly lead around after their first meeting, with Nora showing off blasé tourist attractions in a hostile attempt to disguise the fact she doesn’t want to talk anymore. It is clear this exasperating relationship will play an important role within the continuing story, even as the sisters attempt to find out what is truly happening behind the scenes of this island spy paradise.
As with the indulgent story itself, the opening scene of this issue is elaborately captivating thanks to stunningly detailed illustrations from Elise McCall, creating a serene and yet haunting mood as we watch a lone boy wander along the beach, knowing something bad will happen, and made all the more chilling thanks to the fantastic color variations from Rachelle Rosenberg’s somber tonal palette. And while we may laugh at the comical sound effect text, one cannot but be entranced by the calmness of this beach, with amazing creativity shown within the nuances of elaboration: from footprints in the sand, gradations of sea tones and the amusing trash which he tosses aside, until we finally arrive at the threat which erupts from an explosion of waves, with its menacing maw and colossal size signaling the doom for a foolish child. And yet it is the sophisticated supplemental art of Lia Mitternique and Stella Greenvoss which steals the show with its tongue in cheek humor: from an island tourist map that has too many too features to be taken seriously, the mesmerizing Bondesque title screen, colorful and tantalizing drink menus and all of the photographic background materials such as the contents of Connie’s purse which make this resort all too real to be imaginary. However as the reader is summoned back to literary reality, there are times when the crescent moonlit brightness of this psychedelic night is a bit too jarring, with the Sixties inspired dresses and tropical print clothing being overwhelming at times, especially when we see the sisters illuminated in what are supposed to be tiki torches, and yet their skin tone seems either sunburnt or colored in a sickly and muted fuchsia shade, which should not be possible with such a dim light source, making the women’s features seem unnatural. But as we are brought back to the humor of an islander wearing a tentacled skirt and the terror of a nauseating kraken slaughter, one cannot but be reminded even this title does not take itself too seriously, allowing us a moment to pause at the ridiculousness of an extended bumper sticker reminding us to keep things weird and then fall into the temptation of a beautiful blood-sucking vampire mermaid taunting us to stay out of the water.
Spy Island continues to fascinate readers with an amusing look at classic spy drama and Sixties inspired locations, even as we become engrossed by the melodrama of two sisters constantly trying to prove their outlook is the right one within an increasingly complicated family dynamic. And while the fantastic artwork draws us into the evolving narrative and scintillating colors continue to dazzle readers with delight, for this issue there are a few too many story-influenced advertisements and backgrounds which scatter our attention, thus slowing down the narrative’s progression. Although this distraction is only temporary, one cannot but hope this trend will be lessened in the future so as to allow full enjoyment between all literary and visual elements in mutual synergy, permitting the title to welcomingly interact with a pleased audience.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: October 07, 2020
MSRP: $3.99