Scarlet #4 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alex Maleev (art & colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: Scarlet’s video of her assassinating the police chief goes viral, causing a flash mob of Scarlet supporters to rally.

What’s Good: For all the critical buzz it’s been getting, I’ve still been a bit on the fence about Scarlet, and I’m a huge fan of Brian Bendis.  The potential is definitely there and the art is great, but something wasn’t fully clicking for me.  That changed this month, in a big way.

I think my issue has been that the comic has been in intro mode for the last three issues in that we weren’t getting a firm enough idea of what this comic was going to be like in the long run.  With Scarlet #4, the picture is suddenly clear and much more developed, and I like what I’m seeing.

Scarlet #4 makes it clear that this comic, or at least a big part of it, is going to be about the intersection of myth and personhood.  In other words, it’s about the relationship between Scarlet the public persona and Scarlet the actual human being.  This is far, far more compelling, and not to mention smarter, than a comic that’s simply about revolution and saying no to the Man.  In putting herself out there, Scarlet has made herself into myth and legend, a person that is more idea than person, an idea that Alan Moore touched upon so well in V for Vendetta.  What Bendis does wonderfully, however, is also show how this myth coincides with Scarlet Rue the person; for all the signs, slogans, and rallies, Scarlet is still shown to be very human.  We get scenes of her getting out of bed, chatting with her friend, and trying to rationalize her actions.

More than that though, Bendis also shows the toll the myth takes on the person.  In becoming legend, Scarlet runs afoul of her family, leading to an encounter with her mother that makes clear the price of what she’s done, suggesting perhaps that being both person and legend may not be entirely possible.

With this issue, Scarlet becomes a phenomenon.  Her presence resounds throughout the world of the comic.  The public myth of Scarlet is less a person and more a symbol and idea, and that makes for engaging and exciting reading.  The world in the comic has gone topsy-turvy and I enjoyed it quite a lot.

In presenting two very different sorts of Scarlet, Bendis ends up almost telling two stories that bounce off of one another: there’s the story of Scarlet getting out of bed and dealing with her mother, and there’s the story of protesters carrying signs bearing her name in front of police fearing a riot.  Both stories are about Scarlet, both are related, but both are also very different.  It’s really fun stuff.

Alex Maleev’s artwork is brilliant, as expected.  He does an absolutely fantastic job of highlighting Scarlet’s humanity (that last splash in particular will stick with you) while also illustrating the brazen mayhem of the rally.  He strikes the exact same balance regarding Scarlet as Bendis strives to in his script and so, as such, you couldn’t hope for much better compatibility between writer and artist.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week:  Infinite Vacation #1 – Nick Spencer has launched another series with a neat concept and until he sends us a turd, we should all at least sample everything he launches.  The basic story in this issue is that you can buy/sell your reality with that of a “you” from a parallel universe by using a handy app on your iPhone.  Overslept for work?  You can change realities with another you who woke up on time for a fee.  Wanna be an astronaut?  That’s probably available too.  This has a lot of promise to dig into some interesting questions about “how much is enough happiness” and things like that.  The design on this comic is also very eye-catching.  Runner-up: Batgirl #17

Most Anticipated: Amazing Spider-Man #652 – I LOVED the first arc of Dan Slott’s run on ASM.  Of course, a big part of my love was due to Humberto Ramos’ art.  So, I’m curious to see how much I vibe on this new arc with new Marc Gargan Scorpion with Stefano Caselli art.  Honestly, it’ll be a tall order to make me not miss Ramos, but I’m hopeing that Slott/Caselli are up to the task.

Other Picks: Memoir #1, Morning Glories #6, Scarlet #4, Superior #4, 28 Days Later #19

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Amazing Spider-Man #651 – In art and writing, there were technically better issues this week.  Amazing Spider-Man #651 was not thought-provoking high literature.  What it was, however, was a big bundle of upbeat fun and that goes for both the words and the pictures.  I always feel really good after reading an issue of Dan Slott’s ASM and that counts for quite a lot.

Most Anticipated: Invincible Iron Man #500 – I’ve been a huge fan of Matt Fraction’s Iron Man and this is the motherlode right here.  The slow burn Detroit Steel plot comes to a head, we’re coming off the shocking return of Ezekiel Stane last month and, suffice it to say, things are at a fever pitch – absolutely perfect for a giant sized anniversary issue like this one.  Here’s hoping that Marvel does Iron Man justice and that we don’t just get a standard issue bulked out by a reprint.

Other Picks: Morning Glories #5, Thor #619, Scarlet #4, Wolverine #5, DMZ #61, Brightest Day #18