James Robinson and Scott Kolins joining forces is like a slightly unsung comics Voltron. The former’s done everything from Starman to The Justice Society Returns, while the latter’s drawn heaps of Marvel and, of course, The Flash. They clearly came about in the same circles, and roughly the same time, to make for a properly compelling, totally star-studded collaboration.
Only Patra doesn’t really live up to all of that hype thus far.
That’s not to say Patra is unlikable by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, there’s some good and bad to the debut issue that presents a more complicated picture for this book’s long-term prospects. In short, it’s good, but is it good enough considering its origins?
Variant cover by Francavilla Variant. Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
The Good: The Premise
Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t think that at Robinson-Kolins collabo would result in a horror story. More specifically, a “supernatural series about slasher monsters, mad scientists, and cult movie-inspired horror.” It’s certainly a novel enough take on horror, which amid its current heyday can feel a little bloated. The duo (who are joined by letterer Jim Campbell) seem to have an affinity for the genre, and they’re approaching it with a twisted, bloody, and wonderfully geeky framework. That, and there’s a device introduced in the debut (a knife and mask appear and disappear from Patra randomly) that feels both especially novel and maybe a tad meta, and it’ll be interesting to see how it fully develops and what it means for this book’s specific interests.
The Bad: Patra Herself
OK, maybe this is a wee bit of a misnomer. Our young hero certainly is plucky enough (a trait you need when you find yourself in the middle of a giant-sized murder mystery). She’s also well-developed enough across Patra #1 — there’s a steadiness and strength there that could be important down the road. At the same time, she’s also a tad annoying at times, and meeting her the way we do doesn’t give us a chance to know the girl (just the victim of some bizarre circumstances). She doesn’t radiate the kind of heft and charisma we need already, and I’m worried she’ll be a little one-sided or one-note even as the story builds further.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
The Good: Everyone Else
Even if Patra isn’t exactly the star we need just yet, the book’s got some other solid players operating within. There’s a character named Jeremy introduced that’s central to the murders at the book’s core, and his presence already (which may be mostly due to his appearance) is a mix of feelings and ideas that speaks to the heart of this book’s thematic interests. He’s also got a bit of sympathy attached, and I am interested to see how that extends or complicates the role he plays in this book (and if he’s as “bad” as we might think).
Similarly, Dr. Dakari, a shrink who comes to town after an initial murder, feels like Professor Broom mixed with Niles Caulder. Which is to say, someone who may be up to no good but also is a vital source of structure and support. Ultimately, I think Dakari will help foster some tension and unease, even as he offers some humanity, and that’s going to make this story feel more robust and vivid. He’s totally ripped from a proper ’80s slasher in a few ways, and he’s so far the beating heart of Patra.
The Bad: The Dialogue
I’m never a fan of over-exposition, and Patra #1 has that bad. The fact that it comes from Dr. Dakari doesn’t make it any better, and I would’ve liked to see the story develop and unfold in a more organic way than explaining the case so abruptly so early on. Especially because, ultimately speaking, the explanations don’t really do that much — we’re slightly more informed, yeah, but not in a way that made the clunkiness less awkward. It felt like an instance of Patra leaning into its ’80s vibes, and not in a good way. There was just too much explanation, an over-use of the word “jeepers,” and otherwise rigid background characters (mostly cliched, hacky cops) to feel as if every part of the world was equally compelling and authentic. The dialogue is largely a representation of a bigger issue: can Patra engage us meaningfully, or is it too much of an experimentation in storytelling to feel true and alive?
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
The Good: The Art
As clunky as some of the dialogue may have been, the art killed it across this debut. (See what I did there?) Kolins has this wild, manic style, which is perfect not only for capturing scarlet speedsters but also body horror. His depiction of the killer here, for instance, touches on every part of an ’80s slasher we could want, but in a way that’s more wonderfully messy and oddly proportioned to make us feel even more terror. Similarly, Patra has a great design when she’s in the aforementioned “killer mode” — it feels perfectly whimsy and also terrifying, and that balance is what we need if we’re going to have a more complicated nature with our lead.
Even the way Kolins treat murders is frantic and unsettling; the sheer chaos in a murder scene grips with that pain and terror that you’d want. But it’s not just the blood and guts that shine, either. Kolins’ general depiction of the town (Billford) is steeped in more ’80s goodness, and that’s another essential puzzle piece in setting a mood and playing with all of these horror tropes.
Courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
As much as other parts of the story took me out of the experience, it was Kolins’ art that reminded me of the novelty of this world and also its tried-and-true horror tendencies. It was the lynchpin for this whole project, and if we can keep up that one-two punch of whimsy and darkness, then Patra may be a winner even amid its more noticeable downsides.
Final Thoughts
The score between good and bad within Patra is pretty much even by now, so that means I must continue onward with issue #2. Not really out of some mathematical obligation, but because I do think there’s genuinely something here. Sure, it’s a tad buried or obfuscated under some small-ish-for-now-but-nonetheless-valid issues, but Patra has that weird and wild heart underneath. It’s doing big-ish, mostly interesting things already, and those are to be celebrated as the book carves out a niche for itself. Let’s just hope all this star power can really shine from here on out.
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