“…Kendra talked a lot about you. Fondly.
Though meeting you now, I wonder if she wasn’t being just a wee bit overly goddamned kind.”
Keep reading for a review of Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul’s Clear #2.
Warning: some spoilers below:
First up, let’s talk about the art. It’s Francis Manapul we’re talking about, so it’s gorgeous. It’s not just the line work, which is lovely, it’s the colors. His choice of palette for each of the scenes is perfect; golden and warm for the flashbacks with his family, cool blues and greys for the rainy city, jewel tones for Mrs. Madder’s extravagant mansion, they’re all just beautifully done.
The composition of the panels is excellent too, he’s great at changing the perspective, looking down or up at the subjects to change the mood. I really liked the page where Sam is talking to Mrs. Madders: they’re framed with images of the stupidly expensive coastline, she’s mostly silhouetted with the water creating the outlines, and Sam is backlit with the gradients of the sun, a little like an off-kilter halo, it’s very well done.
As for the story, it’s very wordy again, but we got a ton of information this month (another double-sized issue, over fifty pages counting the bonus information at the end) so the exposition was necessary. (I tend to think the bits with the kid’s “joke” about the asylum are always a little longer than they need to be, especially since the joke isn’t really that funny? But it’s a nine-year-old’s joke so I think that’s the point.)
But yes, this issue we find out what destroyed Sam’s life, what Kendra was up to (mostly), who she contacted, and why. We lose one character, and gain another one, and at the end it looks like we’re going to lose someone else, but they faked us out at the end of the last issue so I’m not buying it now.
I know Sam’s carrying a lot of guilt, but I’d assumed I knew why. Turns out, Kendra comes off much worse in this story. She’s not a monster or anything, but she had a severe lapse of judgement that had massive consequences, I’m surprised Sam’s been the one self-medicating with alcohol and fistfights.
It’s not a slow-burn of a story, but it is taking its time, but I’m definitely interested enough to want to read the next issue. (I mean Manapul’s art would be worth it all on its own, but I want to figure out the mystery too.)
