Comics
Review: ‘Velvet’ #2
An action-packed spy thriller, “Velvet” #2 is a rewarding read full of plot twists and tons of action. This story has a gun-toting femme fatale, high-ranking shadowy agents, and trained assassins. How can you tell there is a traitor in the group when everyone is pretending to live a double life?
WRITTEN BY: Ed Brubaker
ART BY: Steve Epting
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: Dec. 4, 2013
The underground organization, X-Ops, sent their top secret agent, Jeff Keller, on a dangerous assignment in Paris. When the mission turned into a disaster, Jeff was suddenly shot and killed at point-blank range. At the X-Ops headquarters in London, Velvet Temptation has just learned her ex-lover was murdered in cold blood. More than just an average secretary, Velvet will do anything to find Jeff’s killer and avenge his death. But, all the clues point to Velvet as the culprit responsible for the cold-blooded assassin plot. Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Velvet is now on the run from her own people.
Writer Ed Brubaker uses inventive technological gadgets and exotic locations to spice up the espionage-driven narrative. Brubaker keeps the story flowing at a fast pace as he switches between two perspectives. We have the fugitive-on-the-run plotline as Velvet fights her way out of tricky situations. We then have the cat and mouse subplot as Sgt. Roberts investigates everything about his opponent. Though it’s never said a loud, Sgt. Roberts and Velvet respect each other because they’re both good at their job.
Brubaker is able to keep Velvet a mysterious figure even while providing glimpses of her past. Though Velvet acts like a bookish secretary at the X-Ops offices, she has been out in the field many times. Though readers don’t get any specifics, we get the idea that Velvet has had secret romances, escaped alive from deadly missions, and has been trained to kill. For me, the best part is that Brubaker allows Velvet to have fun while she is kicking butt.
Artist Steve Epting sure knows how to keep readers hooked with his action sequences. Taking a more realistic approach, Epting illustrates Velvet wounded and bleeding while she is on the run. After crashing through a window, Velvet limps her way down the stairs, while putting pressure on her bloody wound. You have this great shoot-out in the opening pages that turns into an even awesome car chase.
I particularly enjoyed how Epting illustrates Sgt. Roberts in his new character design. After taking a punch from Velvet, Sgt. Roberts now has a busted nose and a black eye. In his latest character design, Sgt. Roberts has bandages over his nose and forehead, with some bruises around his cheeks. In the opening pages, Epting delivers a great shot of the angry and beaten Sgt. Roberts as he smokes a cigarette in the rain.
Without taking a break, “Velvet” #2 continues to keep the excitement running at full speed. If you’re a huge fan of espionage thrillers, you’re definitely going to enjoy the action sequences in the “Velvet” series.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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