Way back in April IDW started this four issue miniseries, and five months and three issues later we’re here, the finale. Is it good?
Danger Girl May Day #4 (IDW Publishing)
This mini started in a very interesting place, with the Russian double crossing Danger Girl getting amnesia and possibly developing into some kind of hero. Unfortunately for her, the people who took her in were pirates of sorts; there are no good intentions from her “friends.” Last issue was basically a long car chase sequence and nothing more, but it ended with the promise of Natalia meeting up with Abbey. That’s at least something, but sadly this series has gone way off the rails and lost me.
Somehow she looks both sexy and goofy here.
This series has seemingly lost interest in showing character development and asking the tough questions when it comes to identity and has devolved into an empty action set piece. Given the material it’s not a surprise, but it’s unfortunate. This is a nice little issue for what it is, but it’s very odd how much attention Abbey gets. After reading this you’d think she was the protagonist of the series, but that’s not true. This leads to a confrontation between Abbey and Natalia, of sorts, but the final choice Natalia makes misses the mark. The emotional oomph it was going for is lost, especially since there’s no definitive answer as to why Natalia makes that choice. The final page also seems like a cheat, especially since Natalia seemed to be growing out of that cliched evil villain mold.
Artist John Royle nails the style a Danger Girl fan would be looking for. The hips are there, as are the insanely flat stomachs and the overall fun and cartoony look. He uses a lot of diagonal framed panels, which feel more like an attempt to fill the pages, but they at least give the book a quickened pace.
I thought Natalia was the lead in this series…
Is It Good?
This series is an odd one that seems to have lost its way. It had purpose and drive to start, but has seemingly ditched the whole point and moved onto a stereotypical Danger Girl comic by series’ end.
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