In DARLING #3, available from Source Point Press on August 25th, 2021, Queens Ruby’s lethal child soldiers are sent on the attack to destroy the Mad Director while Darling and Finch make a daring getaway.
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The Details
- Written By: Michael Fleizach, Todd Hunt
- Art By: Dave Mims
- Colors By: Dave Mims
- Letters By: Zack Turner
- Cover Art By: Dave Mims
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: August 25, 2021
Was It Good?
I have no idea what’s going on, but the longer this story progresses, the more I like it.
Spiraling. The only word that comes to mind trying to describe what’s happening is ‘spiraling’. Issue #1 was a somewhat authentic take on Darling’s life as it disintegrates into drug-addled dissolution. Issue #2 took a sharp left turn as Darling visited his dealer, the Director, and the entire narrative transformed into a whacked-out version of Alice in Wonderland. Now, the Queen of Hearts aka Queens Ruby has sent her army of unstoppable grade-schoolers on the attack, resulting in a melee with the Spear of Destiny, a 70’s style muscle car chase, and a bizarre re-enactment via charades.
As each issue gets released, the story gets bigger, more strange, and thoroughly engrossing. It’s like watching some deranged, experimental film with surprises coming out of nowhere every five minutes.
However, don’t be fooled by the absurdity of it all as the story still follows a cohesive narrative structure. There is a sequence and a flow to the plot, even if what’s happening in each step is too fantastical to be believed. It’s difficult to say given the events in issue #1 if this is all really happening or if this is all a hallucinatory fantasy conjured out of Darling’s latest drug trip, but I’m on board.
The art from Mims takes a little getting used to due to its blotchy, sloppy aesthetic, but here it pays off with over-the-top action and character acting that adds to the story’s appeal. The simpler, smaller character moments at the beginning of the arc weren’t helped by this art style, but now it fits when everything is loud and crazy.
I don’t know where this story is going, but it’s getting better with each issue, and that’s a rarity these days.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Don’t string yourself trying to make sense of it all until you read our DARLING #2 review.
When last we left Darling, he was shooting up in the Director’s bathroom while the Director and Finch were paid an unhappy visit from Queens Ruby. The Queen was unhappy with the Director’s lack of cooperation so she commanded her small army of grade-schoolers to kill him and his pint-sized, mute sidekick, Finch.
We pick up with Finch breaking through the bathroom door with a Queen’s soldier trying to choke him. Darling intervenes and saves Finch’s life. Finch gestures for Darling to stay put while he digs out a replica of the Spear of Destiny from a prop trunk and dives right back into the melee, spearing grade-schoolers left and right.
Despite their best efforts, the soldiers begin to overwhelm them, but a fire started by one of the soldiers gives our heroes a window of escape. Sadly, the Director stays behind to buy Darling and Finch time as the whole apartment goes up in flames.
On the street below, Finch unveils a classic Camaro and he gestures for Darling to get in. Surprisingly, Finch is an expert driver and the two make their escape while avoiding more soldiers jumping on the car’s hood and a run-in with Queens Ruby and her giant, supersonic bell. We conclude the issue with a diner scene and a game of charades where Finch explains everything and lays out the next step on this fever-dream journey.
Final Thoughts
DARLING #3 is a bizarre, hallucinatory fantasy that’s surprisingly enthralling. Each issue in this series escalates the spectacle of events, hurdling toward an unknown destination. The rough, blotchy art increasingly matches the fantastical elements of the story, accentuating the craziness. I’m keenly interested in learning what happens next.
Score: 8.5/10
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