SCARLET SISTERS (ONE-SHOT), from Dynamite Comics on October 12th, 2022, follows Masquerade, Lady Satan, and the Woman in Red as they face off against the dark magic of Scythe and his Cabal.
The Details
- Written by: Alex Segura
- Art by: Emiliana Pinna
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: October 12, 2022
Is It Good?
SCARLET SISTERS (ONE-SHOT) has all the ingredients of a fresh update to a new vigilante team comprised of three iconic public domain characters from the dawn of superhero comics. Dynamite should be commended and encouraged for dipping more into the Public Domain sphere, so this one-shot comes as a welcome change from the myriad of Vampirella and Red Sonja titles. However, the ingredients may be present, but the results are a bit undercooked.
The highlight of Alex Segura’s script is the classic style of storytelling that harkens back to the earlier part of the 20th Century when the characters were created. The plot centers around a Cabal of dangerous acolytes bent on taking over the city by eliminating vigilantes, police, and politicians who get in their way. The setup and throughline of the plot feel ripped from a pulp serial produced in the early days of Hollywood. You can imagine this story playing out just as well in B&W films or an old-time radio show. To be clear, there’s a nostalgic vibe to the story, but it doesn’t feel dated or out of place in the modern world.
The down point of Segura’s script is simply a lack of time. Re-introducing three established characters with their origin stories, an evil organization, and a small cast of side characters pivotal to the plot is too much. Names and events come at you rapid fire without enough time to let those events sink in and let the characters develop. For example, a side character named Morlock is crucial to the story’s outcome, but it wasn’t until well past the halfway mark that it became clear who Morlock was and why she was important to the story. This issue would have benefited from sticking to a simpler origin story or extending into a second issue.
Pinna’s art is not great. It’s heartbreaking to make that critique as we want Dynamite to do more with Public Domain characters, and we don’t want this issue’s success or failure to dictate future character selections, but this art is not great. Anatomy proportions are inconsistent, the choreography between Scythe and Lady Satan in the opening scene is a jumble of confusion, and several panels lack detail to the point that they look like hasty sketches. Fortunately, Wright’s coloring saves the day with excellent textures and shading.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with the Scarlet Sisters – Masquerade, Lady Satan, and The Woman in Red – as they face off against the Cabal, led by the dark magic-wielding Scythe, in an abandoned amusement park. Despite the furious fight, it ends in a stalemate as the Cabal escapes to fight another day.
Later, Masquerade uses her position by day as a police detective to search for clues in the murder of vigilante hero Arrow and politician Nathaniel Adams. Masquerade’s research points to the Cabal as the suspect in the killings as they make a bid to eliminate any resistance to the city’s takeover.
Alma Morlock has stepped up to take Nathaniel Adams’splace in the election out of respect for Adams’s work. During the next political debate where Morlock is due to speak, the Cabal attacks. We conclude the issue with power upgrades, a twist reveal, and a new status quo.
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Final Thoughts
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SCARLET SISTERS (ONE-SHOT) is a commendable foray into creating a new adventure, complete with an updated status quo, for a new team of Public Domain characters. Segura captures the right tone and plot that blends the modern world with classic pulp action/adventure. Unfortunately, there’s not enough page space for all the story elements to fully develop, and the art is unpolished and sloppy.
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