Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Cover Artist: Jorge Corona
Publisher: Image
Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 10, 2024
The stablemaster in Cypress gave Ryder a hellish steed. Ryder rode over the houses, bars, banks, stores, and other buildings that climbed the slopes of the hellish town. She got shot in the process, but she reached Her Blind Majesty. Can she earn a reprieve from death on the fabulous riverboat? Let’s saddle up, ride into Aint No Grave #3, and find out!
Story
Ryder's daughter means the world to her. She'd do anything to have more time with Joey. So when Doc Francis gave her a year to live, Ryder abandoned Joey and Darius to get another shot at life. As she travels down the river on Her Blind Majesty, Ryder's thoughts return to how Joey leaped into the muddy creek in her new dress. So what if it cost a packet, and she and Darius were behind on the mortgage? Ryder dived in and swam with her.
In Aint No Grave #3, a doctor tends to Ryder's wounds. A steward garbs her in an evening suit. Slaves toil in the steamboat's engine room. Ryder passes courtesans offering their favors on the way to the casino, where she joins a card game. After leaving her husband and daughter to bargain with Death, Ryder bets she can win a marker to use however she wants. Losing the game doesn’t bear thinking about. But Ryder doesn’t plan on losing.
In Skottie Young's mythological western, Ryder doesn't abide by society's rules. She takes what she wants regardless of the cost to others. Doc Francis argued that she couldn't win this fight. But Ryder has survived every battle that led her here. The steamboat's owner, Madam Gates, believes Ryder can't win. But Ryder knows how to turn the tables on her opponents. She'll do anything to win that marker and use it to beg, borrow, or steal a life extension.
Ryder’s husband means the world to her. Yet in Aint No Grave #3, memories of arguments with Darius haunt her. Unlike her, Darius cares about the rules. He savors the journey, while Ryder focuses on the destination. But winning by thumbing her nose at society makes her an outcast. Darius wants to belong. He cares about fitting in. He thought Ryder intended to turn over a new leaf. There was a reason they bought Joey that new dress. But Ryder doesn't share his belief in its importance.
Art
The river reflects the steamboat and a malformed soul from Cypress. The shore provides a glimpse of the train tracks the sheriff in Cypress mentioned. Ryder was supposed to wait until she died to enter Cypress, then wait until she was due to board the train to continue her journey. Instead, Ryder traded the rustic wooden buildings of Cypress for the elegant furnishings of Her Blind Majesty. Amid the grandeur, servants cover their faces. Madam Gates hides her features behind an enormous hat and glasses. Only the players in this casino royale show their faces. That is, until they lose, and their features get enveloped by the furnishings. Then, those waiting on the upper floor balcony can take their chances on the casino floor.
Ryder looks tired and sad in her red-splattered gray jacket, red shirt and scarf, and black slacks. She awakens with renewed energy and determination in a grey suit, white frilly shirt, and black vest. Aboard Her Blind Majesty, Ryder doesn't need to bundle up to keep warm while disease ravages her. Nor is she bound by a voluminous green dress or a waist-length ponytail. She may not look happy as she gambles for her life, but neither does she look as miserable as when Darius preached at her, and Joey looks to her father for forgiveness.
While Jean-Francois Beaulieu lavishes a loaded palette of rich colors on Jorge Corona’s detailed art in Aint No Grave #3, Nate Piekos deals generously sized black uppercase letters into polygonal balloons. Emotions and raised voices swell words and change color. Music notes spill through the buoyant casino. Cards tumble noisily through the air to show a winning hand. Choking and a snake-like arrow reveal that another gambler may soon join the ranks of those below who hide their expressions behind diver’s helmets and bare their backs to the overseer’s lash while feeding the hissing engine. Thanks to Image for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
In Aint No Grave #3, Ryder bargains for her life. Ryder's new life with Darius and Joey seemed idyllic. Yet her arguments with the husband she left behind haunt her. Was her marriage destined to end in tragedy, even if Doc Francis hadn’t handed her a death sentence?
Rating 9.8/10
For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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