Painkiller Jane: The 22 Brides #1
Publisher: Marvel/Icon
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist(s): Norberto Fernandez, Juan Santacruz, & Steve Mannion
Cover: Sas Christian
Not only does Palmiotti bring us more Jane so soon after her last adventure, but we get a LOT of story in this issue. Two of them to be exact, and neither pull any punches when delivering a comic full of Jane!
The first story provides the necessary background about the 22 Brides before we’re transported to the present day. Here we find out that various buildings have been destroyed under mysterious circumstances. From here on out Palmiotti produces a story that is all parts gritty, sexy, and worth every page. He also clearly shows that when the bad guy offers to triple your pay just take the deal, because the alternative really sucks.
The back-up story, “Monsters,” is just as good as the first, and by the time you’re halfway in you realize you’re pretty much getting another full length adventure. This story is violent, funny, and pretty fast paced. What’s also great is that if you’re not too familiar with Jane you’ll get a nice summary of her abilities and a rich look at the type of woman she is. Making this issue just as welcoming to a longtime fan as it would be to a reader who is just reading about Jane for the first time. There’s just the right amount of chaos thrown in here that makes this story fun in a way that’s not over the top and annoying.
There’s quite a bit of dialogue in both stories, but everything is essential in some way. The visuals throughout the issue are fairly strong between the three artists. The prologue by Fernandez is definitely an eye opener aside from the scantly clad harem of ladies. Santacruz and Mannion both add to their stories quite well with their styles. Though towards the end of the “22 Brides” tale, Santacruz has a few panels that just don’t hold up to the previous. Mannion’s style keeps things light even with the most brutal of panels.
Hopefully the next issue delves into the Brides a little more, but until then I’ll be impatiently waiting and suggest you pick this up and do the same!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
