The buildup for Peter Cairn’s transformation into the Spawn of the future has been building throughout the first two issues of Rat City, and in Rat City #3 it finally comes to a head. Now that he has (some) control over his new powers, Peter puts them to use fighting past the forces of Pharamtech Solutions – but the battle results in the loss of his friend and fellow soldier Rhys. Wracked with grief, Peter decides to take down PTS any way he can.
A saying is repeated throughout Rat City #3: “Adapt or die.” It’s the motto that both Peter and Rhys apparently repeated to themselves when they were soldiers, though Erica Schultz all but says it’s the major theme of the series. Peter adapts to his new powers because death is the alternative; he can’t die until he takes down PTS. Schultz also shows that he can’t really die due to his new suit, though it isn’t for lack of trying on his part. As the issue progresses, there’s even a few new narrative threads that hint at a greater mystery – and the promise that Peter will inflict more violence upon the wicked.
Rat City #3 wouldn’t have as much of an impact without Ze Carlos’ artwork, and he takes every advantage he can to show off Peter’s new costume. Like Al Simmons, Peter’s cape has a mind of its own. It swoops in front of him to protect him from bullets, or strikes with the force of a sledgehammer. Carlos depicts the cape as a living thing, a wall of bright red that often leaps out at the reader. But the best image comes from a moment where Peter looks at himself in the mirror and shatters said mirror in a fit of rage; the following page isn’t broken up into panels but rather shards of glass, reflecting the shattering of the life he once led. Jay David Ramos’ color work, creeping with shadows around every page, and Schultz’s blood-red captions further paint the scene as a desperate one.
Rat City #3 pushes the story of the future Spawn into high gear, exploring both his mental state and his newfound superhuman abilities. In true Spawn fashion, every triumph is offset by tragedy but that’s what makes this an interesting story – and what keeps fans coming back for more.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login