The vivid world of The Seasons is one of its biggest draws, but there’s also an evil circus with fantastical clowns running about to ramp up our interest. The threat of evil clowns increases in The Seasons #3, while we also learn more about the characters and the dynamic between the four Seasons sisters. Given Spring is the only one adventurous enough to see the threat looming, it’ll be on her to get some army together if she can survive her sister.
The Seasons #3 opens where we left off, right after someone threw a rock through the Seasons’ window. Spring is cleaning it up, yet gets a bunch of guff from her sister Winter, who assumes Autumn broke things. This issue reveals Winter’s point of view on Autumn is relatively low, mostly because she’s a storyteller at heart and tends to find adventure by accident. Or maybe the adventure finds her.
Similar to the seasons, we learn in this issue that Winter is a bit bipolar. She treats Autumn poorly at the start but later goes into a manic episode. Writer Rick Remender does a great job sussing out the complicated nature of siblings, especially given the unique circumstances of this family. Winter comes off as a well-rounded character with her own issues. She’s too young to see that she’s complicated things and treating Spring poorly.
Love the circus peeking in the top right.
Credit: Image
Meanwhile, Spring’s actions in the first issue rear their head here. That’s a pleasant surprise, as often hijinks are ignored or swept under the rug, but here, we see those actions have consequences. It’s also a nice way to revisit the opening sequence where we get to meet Spring and a way to show she’s having a bad day.
Aside from seeing Spring’s day-to-day life, this issue opens up the threat of the clowns and the circus. A direct confrontation occurs that not only shines a light on Spring’s courage but also gives us clues as to what is going on. This final scene also dovetails nicely into the cliffhanger, ending Spring’s situation at home.
All that said, the plot progression feels slow at this point. The clowns are a threat, but still feel distant. The trouble Winter is putting Spring through feels like a distraction, even if it might lead to progression.
Paul Azaceta continues to delight with his pencils, and Mat Lopes’s colors don’t disappoint either. The clowns continue to be otherworldly, like taken from a cartoon, which juxtaposes nicely with the realistic rendering of the world and human characters. It adds an unnerving nature to them, even though they look like they’ve been plucked from a Saturday morning cartoon. The adventurous spirit is alive and well, no matter the panel, whether Spring explains it to her sister or the cityscape in the background.
With The Seasons #3, Remender and Azaceta deliver another gripping chapter that deepens the sibling conflicts while raising the stakes with the eerie circus threat. The character work is layered, and the art captures the whimsical and the unsettling. While some may find the drama a bit heavy, the issue effectively builds tension and momentum, making it a strong continuation of the series.
You must be logged in to post a comment.