HOME FREE: INTO THE WOODS, from John Kratky & Michelle Lodge on Kickstarter, follows Emmy and Sara after their harrowing escape from Grip. Will Grip’s death catch up with them sooner or later?
The Details
- Written by: John Kratky
- Art by: Michelle Lodge
- Colors by: Michelle Lodge
- Letters by: Eduardo Camucho
- Cover art by: Michelle Lodge
- Cover price: $5.00
- Release date: September 2022 (estimated)
Is It Good?
There are really strong character moments in HOME FREE: INTO THE WOODS, mixed with a few smaller, confusing, world-building moments. Therefore, it’s a good albeit lightly flawed entry in the series.
The strength of John Kratky’s script lies in the soulful, emotionally deep interaction as they flee in Grip’s car after the abusive pimp’s death. The two discuss the life they had, the life to come, and where they may or may not fit into each other’s life moving forward. It’s a thoughtful exploration of how two people can bond over a shared trauma and seek to hold onto that bond in the face of an unknown future.
The second bright spot in this issue is a tense encounter with Grip’s brother that brings home the gravity of Emmy and Sara’s situation with urgency. The violence is brutal, and nobody comes out of the exchange unscathed. Kratky creates an exceptional story that mixes emotionally-deep character moments with gritty action for a follow-up issue that keeps the dramatic tension of the first issue sky-high.
That said, this issue introduces an element of government surveillance, called Soteria, as a response to a terror bombing that doesn’t quite make sense and doesn’t seem to fit within Emmy and Sara’s story. The Soteria introduction comes out of nowhere, and it’s given so much attention that you can’t help feeling it will be key to the story down the road. As it’s positioned in this issue, the newscast talking about Soteria comes in as an awkward break in the story.
Lodge’s art is fantastic in this issue. Again, one of the highlights in this script is the deeply emotional interaction between Emmy and Sara, and the success of that interaction is partly due to Lodge’s excellent facial acting and panel composition. Lodge hits each emotional beat perfectly to convey the impact of the scene, and it’s a gorgeous bit of acting.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our HOME FREE review to find out how Emmy and Sara became partners in crime.
We begin with Emmy and Sara speeding along a highway in Grip’s car. Soon, they realize they need at least one pitstop for food and fuel. Reluctantly, Sara stops at a small diner, and the two discuss their options for the future.
After a quick bite, Sara heads to the car where she finds a trio of rough-looking thugs waiting for her. One of the toughs is Grip’s brother, and he recognized Grip’s car. Suddenly, Emmy and Sara are in a fight for their lives to escape Grip’s allies.
We conclude the issue with a bone-crunching fight and a tearful goodbye.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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HOME FREE: INTO THE WOODS follows the fugitives as they make plans to escape the consequences of Grip’s death. The emotional acting, in both the script and the art, is phenomenal, and the action scenes are gritty and brutal.
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