Title: Footprints #3
Publisher: 215 Ink
Writer: Joey Esposito
Artist: Jonathan Moore
Cover: Jonathan Moore
“Iced: Part Three“: Now that Footprints is on 215 Ink, Joey Esposito and Jonathan Moore (and Adam O. Pruett on lettering) don’t slow down, and instead pick up the steam. Whether we’re talking about the faster, harder hitting plot, or the fact that Footprints looks like it’s going to be monthly.
I could praise Esposito’s noir nods or Moore’s beautiful but gritty black and white artwork, but if you’ve been reading it so far, then you know what I mean. And if you haven’t, perhaps you might want to pick up a copy of Footprints #1.
What I will note about the team’s work, is that as with Footprints #2, they have improved once more. Esposito’s dialog has become both more believable and playful at the same time, Moore’s artwork has become sharper and cleaner, and I don’t think there was a single moment where Pruett’s lettering became obstructive in the artwork or hard to read. This is why I enjoy indie work. I’ll say it again and again, but the fun part about independent comics, especially starting-out talent, is that you get to see them improve over time. And not to mention that people who buy and support indie comics can pat themselves on the back for supporting the team and allowing them the resources to improve. This is not to say that the other Footprints issues were weaker. But it’s to say that it’s exciting to see it get better and better with each issue.
The plot is better this time around, too. While I definitely liked the other ones, they were much more classic noir/hardboiled tributes with mythological creatures for your Sam Spade/Philip Marlowe. But here, things start to stand on their own in a unique way.
One of the big factors to this is Motheresa. There’s a reason why femme fatales are popular in hardboiled stories. They mix things up, give a playful touch, while making you unsure if they’re going to turn out to be a damsel or a danger. And that’s exactly what Motheresa does for Footprints.
The other characters have improved, as well. Or perhaps it’s because at this point I’ve gotten to know them over three issues. But either way, their personalities all stand out and it’s a pleasure to see them again.
It might sound like I’m giving too much praise for Footprints #3. And I suppose if you wanted to, you could look panel to panel and maybe find a few things to tear it apart. But that’s not what I’m here for, because Footprints has what I like in a comic book story. It’s true that even with this issue, you’ll probably have seen a good deal of it from a Chandler/Hammet/Spillane novel. But it’s a solid story, and a fun one at that. And with the cliffhanger at the end of the issue, I can’t wait to see what the team brings with the fourth issue.
Andrew Hudson
ahudson@comicattack.net
@Hudsonian
A copy of this comic was provided by the publisher for review.
