All Eight Eyes #3 Review

 

Writer: Steve Fox

Artist: Piotr Kowalski

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson; David Romero

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 21, 2023

 

Play with spiders long enough, and you’re bound to get bitten. At least that’s what Dani Dominguez tells Vin when he awakens in the abandoned school. Meanwhile, Reynolds is fighting a giant spider and needs his help yesterday. What happens next? Grab an elvish dagger from a troll’s horde—or at least a baseball bat—as we brave a look inside All Eight Eyes #3 and find out!

 

Story

The previous issue ended with Reynolds and a giant spider playing tug-of-war, using Vin as a rope. Dani slaps Vin to banish his grogginess. The New York Parks & Recreation officer tells him they need to leave pronto. Reynolds also tells him to flee. But Vin's not having any of that. He's a man with a plan to get them out of a jam, and with Reynolds' help, he succeeds.

 

To the victors belong the spoils. At least Reynolds spoils the party with a temper tantrum. It shocks Vin into breaking up their dynamic duo. But can he resume everyday life, knowing the dangers that threaten New York? Dani certainly can’t. Her coworker Ernie found a spider corpse in the last issue, but their boss Mr. Godino ordered them to suppress the discovery. Maybe she could live with that then, but not anymore.

 

Sadly, All Eight Eyes #3 stumbles as it scurries across our New Comic Book Day haul. Dani says Vin got bit, but we never saw it happen. You can argue the final panel of issue #2 showed it, but if so, where's the result? Vin leaps into action to save Reynolds. Why isn't he treating his injury or suffering ill effects? An ordinary spider bite can be debilitating. Shouldn't a giant spider bite hospitalize Vin or kill him? Also, why does Dani call in sick, then sneak into work anyway? Her boss may be a jerk, but does he dominate every second of her working day? Hopefully, we'll learn the reason for her deception in the next issue.

 

 

Art

I never had to flip back and forth in All Eight Eyes #3 because I wondered, "What just happened?" Whether depicting moments like Dani's slap, Vin throwing a brick, or a giant spider meeting its demise, Piotr Kowalski sets up action scenes well and follows through.

 

He shows emotions equally well. Vin dances with exultation. Dani's frown--and her raised hand as she turns away--conveys her feelings. Amy's expressions, hug, the steaming mug she brings him, and even her bunny slippers help Vin accept her concerned disbelief.

 

Vin's face didn't convey his uniqueness in the first few pages. But long before Reynolds finally shared what propelled him on his crusade against the Eight Legs, Vin recaptured his individuality.

 

In the first issue, Brad Simpson colored the spiders with wild abandon. By All Eight Eyes #3, he's settled down. He sells dark battle scenes in the abandoned school, Vin's dream, and Reynolds' recollections without obscuring the art. His shadows and highlights imbue scenes with the rich tapestry of life in the city that never sleeps. Likewise, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou fills white dialogue balloons with easy-to-read lettering. Font size and the shapes of the linking arrows convey tonality and emotion. His sound effects help us hear impacts and the skittering of the arachnids who lurk in the darkness awaiting the opportunity to strike.

 

Final Thoughts

The past hangs heavy over Vin and Reynolds as another Human joins the fight against the spider menace. All Eight Eyes #3 asks: When can you give yourself a pass and give up on a cause you believe in? 

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

All Eight Eyes #1 Review

 

Writer: Steve Fox

Artist: Piotr Kowalski

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 19, 2023

 

When his roomie throws him out after four months of nonpayment of rent, Vin wanders through the park in the early morning hours. He spies a homeless man hammering another man in the head. The homeless man grabs him and pulls him over. Vin sees a giant spider lying beside the corpse. What happens next? Let's brave a look inside All Eight Eyes #1 and find out!

 

Story

Vin had thought to report the man. Now all he wants to do is get away. But the homeless man chases him and bashes him with his hammer. The dog licks him. He jerks awake. The dog backs off and growls. The man crouches before him and thrusts his hammer in his face. "Don't scare my dog," he says.

 

A patch on the man's jacket reads Reynolds. Once again, he shows Vin the spider. He shares how his discovery has changed his life. He shows Vin his journal, in which he's recorded his adventures. Most people never see this menace, he claims. If Vin sticks to well-trodden areas, he'll likely never see one again. He advises Vin to forget about the spiders if he can.

 

All Eight Eyes #1 shines a light on the homeless community in the United States. As Kim Stanley Robinson does in his novel Green Earth, Steve Foxe posits that some vagrants might contribute more to the public good than their more socially acceptable neighbors. He also reminds us how easy it is to merely see what we expect to find. His story asks: How much more might we discover if we broadened our vision and explored more of our world?

 

 

Art

Piotr Kowalski draws interiors with incredible detail, imbues his characters with personality, and packs outdoor scenery with realism. Brick walls reveal cracks and surface imperfections. Clothing show texture, creases, and shadows. Like Vin and Reynolds, the spider-warrior’s dog overcomes his breed’s bad rep to become a sympathetic character.

 

Kowalski limits panels to individual pages rather than working across pages horizontally. Even pages with big reveals sport several panels. My only quibble was Reynolds’ journal. He shows it to Vin, who holds it while they talk. Then we never see it again. Did Vin take Reynolds' journal or not? At least we can read two pages of his adventures at the end of All Eight Eyes #1.

 

The hall of Vin's former apartment reveals color differences in peeling wallpaper and shadows cast on walls and floor by an inadequate overhead light. Vehicle headlights illumine darkened streets beneath the violet sky. The green of grass, shrubs, and foliage contrasts with Reynolds and Vin's earth tones in the early morning light. When Reynolds' dog licks Vin awake, he sees brown brick walls that show color differences, highlights, and shadows. While Kowalski draws lines beneath each character, Brad Simpson shades the area to deepen shadows. His coloring is never harsh or garish, and he uses gray sparingly. Intriguingly, he colors the spiders purple, blue, green, and yellow. It's not as psychedelic as James Stokoe’s coloring in Orphan and Five Beasts, but it reminds me that Vin’s seeing something that shocks him.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou uses uppercase letters in spherical white dialogue balloons. Inflection makes words grow bold. Rectangular narrative boxes overlay scenes of spider infestation as Reynolds relates his adventures. Sound effects include the dog's growls, the giant spider landing on a brick floor, and the Whoosh of erupting fire. Words combine with art to help us see sound in All Eight Eyes #1.

 

Final Thoughts

Grounded in cultural relevance and monster lore, All Eight Eyes #1 is a fast-paced, thought-provoking read that may make you look at the world differently. The beautiful art, additional story pages, and journal entries make this lovingly detailed comic a must-buy for all but the most ardent arachnophiles.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.