THE SCORCHED #34, by Image Comics on 10/9/24, sends Jessica Priest undercover to find Marc Rosen and let him know her plans.
Credits:
- Writer: John Layman, Todd McFarlane
- Artist: Stephen Segovia
- Colorist: Dinei Ribeiro
- Letterer: AndWorld Design
- Cover Artist: Thaddeus Robeck
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: October 9, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 28
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of THE SCORCHED #34:
First Impressions:
There are only so many ways you can say “nothing happens,” so we’ll just say that in THE SCORCHED #34, nothing happens. In fairness to the creative team, this is a great-looking comic, but the issue could be summed up this way – Jessica and Marc have a chat, Jessica and Spawn beat up muggers in an alley, and Marc harms himself due to depression. Whatever plot this arc is supposed to be following is nowhere to be found.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left the team in The Scorched #33, the plot paused to explain the existence of more than one Haunt prior to Daniel Kilgore becoming the current Haunt. The history lesson could pave the way for the artificial creation of more Haunts under Jason Wynn’s control. Now, the previous Haunt has awoken and escaped The Agency’s stronghold.
In The Scorched #34, Jessica gets dolled up in her sexiest outfit and tracks down Marc Rosen sitting at an outdoor café. At first, Marc doesn’t recognize Jessica in disguise, but she gives him a wink to clue him in. Jessica then proceeds to explain to Marc what’s happened recently.
So far, so good. Jessica Priest shows the reader that, even without her powers, she still has skills enough to evade detection and operate undercover. In a subtle way, this scene does a decent job of elevating Jessica’s character.
Jessica explains in short order that the “She-Haunt” is on the hunt for the current Haunt, Jessica has almost completely healed thanks to Agency doctors, Daniel’s fake attack disabled all the bombs in Jessica’s body, and Jessica reaffirms her commitment to reunite Marc with Medieval.
Jessica’s chat with Marc amounts to an exposition dump. The dialog feels relatively organic, but it’s nothing more than verbal shoring-up of plot questions.
The issue ends with Jessica running into Spawn in a nearby alley at the same time they’re surrounded by a group of muggers.
Overall, The Scorched #34 gives you loads of information to fill in lots of little gaps, but it doesn’t amount to much. If you skipped this issue, you wouldn’t miss anything significant.
Artwork and Presentation:
Stephen Segovia’s art is the absolute highlight of this issue and the only reason you must get this comic. Segovia’s figure work, action scenes, and composition choices are fantastic.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
The reason this issue has so little impact is due, in part, to the lack of any developments regarding Jason Wynn, The Agency, the old Haunt, or the fallout from the Heaven/Hell War. Jessica briefly observes that Spawn has had trouble with vampires lately, but that’s about it.
Final Thoughts:
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THE SCORCHED #34 gives readers nice art, plenty of organically delivered exposition to fill in gaps, and not much else. The art looks fantastic, and the information you do get is mildly useful, but this is a filler issue in every sense of the word.
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