Hyde Street #10 performs a deep-dive into the turmoil and trauma surrounding one of Hyde Street’s longstanding residents, Clarissa Hood AKA Sister Hood, whose cataclysmic cameo in the five-issue mini series offshoot, aptly called Sisterhood, was teased out in this “detour” tale that was originally conceived by writer Maytal Zchut and artist Leila Leiz.
Meanwhile, this story firmly roots us in the so-called “primary realm” of Hyde Street; and writer Geoff Johns and artist Francis Portela take the reins of Sister Hood’s narrative, as we find out how she ended up in this hellscape of a cursed realm.
In issue #10, we learn that Clarissa and her sister Lucinda were masterful con artists in the 1920s — fake fortune tellers who schemed in rigged seances and palm readings. Unfortunately for the duo, their devious operation (which frequently took advantage of those in need of solace) caught the attention of The Scorekeeper; and suddenly, they find themselves in his domain.
The cruelty is unyielding and an ultimate sacrifice must be made between the siblings as now they are now eternally indebted to The Scorekeeper who demands they collect ten thousand souls in a bid for their alleged freedom. But there is a catch to this and they may not be truly free unless key alliances are formed between specific residents on Hyde Street (which include seedy boy-scout Pranky; crooked salesman Mr. X-Ray; the tragic Matinee Monster; sinister surgeon Dr. Ego; and fitness fanatic Ms. Goodbody).
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The story ends up teasing the reader with a new sinister story arc — that everyone should brace and tremble before The Butcher of Hyde Street, whom we’ve yet to see but whose malevolent reputation precedes him (part one/ issue #11 debuts in March).
Out of the gate, what I really appreciated first was Rob Leigh’s lettering (it’s all in the details which have a significant impact on me overall as a comic book reader). Personally, as someone with dyslexia, I really appreciated the font and stylization — both of which were clear and calculating. The layout commands your attention and that makes such a difference in terms of legibility and a desire to read the entire issue in one sitting.
The other thing that was quite different was the art — compared with Leila (whose aesthetic I would describe as seductive, detailed, and glamorous), Francis has this “open line” look with an emphasis on gestures and dramatic facial expressions that veer towards a masculine tone. Some of the scenes looked a bit too cartoony to me; and admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of it (for all intents and purposes, it could merely be an aesthetic adjustment on my end since I was accustomed to and enamored with Leila’s original rendition of Sister Hood).
Meanwhile, I’ve been a longstanding fan of Brad Anderson’s color palette, and here is no exception — the bold hues practically kept off the page. In fact, I could feel the heat emanating from the flames of the torch that Matinee Monster held in this issue.
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Lastly, a slight lament to note: Hyde Street #10’s narrative challenges your patience overall especially if you’ve followed the series from day one. On one hand, I do appreciate the character deep-dives and each persona’s robust development, but sometimes it can feel overly drawn out — akin to a soap opera. You want the plot to progress and there wasn’t enough of that here. There was more teasing of a “big bad” than enrichment of the overall storyline. It would have been ideal to get a balance of both elements in this issue.
Ultimately, it appears that we still don’t have all the character backstories fleshed out yet. We’ve yet to learn about the infamous Butcher of Hyde Street, unless this villainous monster can usher the story forward in a dynamic fashion.
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