Gehenna: Naked Aggression has never been about small swings, which is definitely the case with issue #3. Gehenna has cut through armed guards and assassins, but now it’s time to take on a bona fide superhero. It’s a knock-down, drag-out fight issue, with the stakes rising even more by the end of the issue.
Gehenna: Naked Aggression #3 opens where we left off: Gehenna has Public Defender standing in her way. Wearing a button-down shirt, tie, thick gloves, and a mask, Public Defender has a street-level superhero vibe, and he doesn’t take any guff. What he does take, however, are a lot of punches and kicks from Gehenna.
Similar to the first issue, the fight choreography by artist Maurizio Rosenzweig is exceptional, with logical blocks, throws, and dirty moves thrown in for good measure. All told, this issue has 16 pages devoted to the fight scene. A hefty chunk, and the epitome of fight comics fun that doesn’t let up. It’s a brutal battle made more intense thanks to the kidnapped kid, hoping Public Defender doesn’t die fighting Gehenna.
Thrown into the mix is some nice commentary on vigilante superheroes from writer Patrick Kindlon. Considering this is a world where henchmen die horribly and Gehenna will do anything to survive, Public Defender seems a bit out of touch with reality. That said, he’s a bruiser and knows how to throw a punch.
POW!
Credit: Image
The remaining eight pages of the issue do a nice job setting up higher stakes for the series. Isa, the blonde bombshell who has been tracking down Gehenna, has failed and needs to get more men on this case. Thrown into the mix is a look at the leader of all this, which adds a gangster vibe to the story. There’s even more gangster vibes to come, thanks to Gehenna taking things to a new location that’ll presumably give her an edge.
While the last issue slowed down the plot progression, the third issue ramps up the forward momentum while delivering an extended and exciting fight sequence. The art is gritty, with an electric style that’ll make you throw punches as you read it to capture the speed and counters on the page. Throw in the fun nods to things like Family Guy, and it’s a delight from beginning to end.
Gehenna: Naked Aggression #3 is a hard-hitting showcase of what fight comics can do, combining bone-crunching choreography with sharp commentary and just enough story momentum to keep the larger narrative burning. It’s gritty, entertaining, and unrelenting. Exactly what this series does best.
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