In this second issue of Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl, Emily is in big trouble inside her television prison as Claire begins taking her revenge in the real world. Is it good?
Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl #2 (Image Comics)
We open on a flashback as Emily is given leadership of the coven, but is warned that not only is she not the queen of those around her, but she mustn’t let the coven fall into the wrong hands. And we flash forward back to the “present” day, as those wrong hands start seeing the effects of Emily’s queen-like attitude, and figuring out how she can destroy it all.
Inside her digital prison, the very video that captured her imagination is trying to kill her. She manages to find the king (a familiar outline of Michael Jackson), and learns that the deal is still valid since she gave up half of herself and half is still there. She flees again, still pursued by video henchmen.
Back in the real world, Claire convenes the coven, including former members, and proceeds to humiliate and insult them all, starting with David. Can Emily escape back to stop Claire before she destroys everything? Does she even deserve to?
Is It Good?
Now that I’m more settled into the world of Phonogram, it’s become a lot more accessible. And thank god for Gillen taking pity on those of us outside the world of music criticism/hardcore fandom and providing those awesome glossaries. It’s also given me more music to sample (always a good thing).
Not a deep thought, maybe, but this book is entertaining as hell. Watching Emily be chased through some of the most iconic music videos of all time, as they twist into something dark and sinister is fascinating and heart-pounding. I love seeing Claire’s glee as she systematically destroys everything Claire has worked to build. She is truly None More G-word.
McKelvie and Wilson own this book, perfectly capturing the styles of the music videos and seamlessly moving from style to style as Emily flees and fights. It’s fantastic how Emily still looks like herself, though in the pen and ink drawing of Take On Me, while the rest of the scene looks identical to the video. The zombie backup dancers in Material Girl, framed against that sinisterly cheerful pink background? Perfection. It feels like Matt and Jamie are having as much fun drawing/coloring these issues as Gillen is writing them.
(Can I admit my heart skipped a little beat when the hero from the Take On Me video saves Emily twice? Who says romance is dead.)
Emily is reaping what she sowed and Claire is taking advantage of the ruthless person Emily has been for years. It says something that David isn’t at all surprised by Claire’s attack at the gathering:
Will Emily be alive to escape the clutches of the King and repair the damage Claire is wreaking? I can’t wait to find out.
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