Shade the Changing Girl #10
"Atomic City"
Written By: Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated By: Marley Zarcone
Inks By: Ande Parks
Colors By: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lettered By: Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: July 5, 2017
It's so weird we're discussing bombs going off in the New Mexico desert here... as it's also been touched on in Twin Peaks.
So peculiar, I go three and a half decades giving it little to no thought, and here it is seeping it's way into my life in some strange ways!
What Happened?
Shade arrives in the New Mexico desert, a place she considers to be quite mad... and that's saying something. She visits the Trinity site, where the first nuke was popped back in the 1960's... on her way out she pockets a piece of Trinitite, which is a big no-no... but an avian's gotta avian. What's Trinitite? I'm happy you asked... and even happier that I'm sitting in front of a Google-machine when you did... it's the rocky residue of the bomb.
What follows are a few vignettes... Back on Meta, Hellboy's sister finally cracks the case... the madness tracking is a success! Back in Valley Ville, however, River's search isn't going quite as hot. He's tracking the news coverage of "maddy" things going on across the great nation, but hasn't quite put it all together yet.
We rejoin Shade as she is about to ring the doorbell to Honey's house. Turns out this is just a historical monument, and not actually where Honey lives... the fella who answers the door ain't too pleased to have company, and tells our girl to hit the bricks.
We return to Valley Ville, where the high school is conducting weekly counseling sessions to discuss Megan's disappearance. River attempts to reconnect with Teacup here, but she is definitely keeping her distance.
After picketing Weapons of Mass Destruction on a random New Mexico street corner, Shade pops into a local tavern to knock a few back. Thankfully, she's still got that old lady's ID she swiped last issue! The barkeep doesn't ask any questions... and if he doesn't, I shouldn't.
While attempting to get sloshed, a pair of Metan agents arrive to get the M-Coat back. They turn a poor patron into a pile of... I dunno, beans... maybe seeds? Whatever it was, he's probably not going to be paying his tab. Actually, nobody's going to pay their tab because a big fight breaks out... Shade, with a little help from that bean in her belly vaporize the folks and levels the joint.
We wrap up with Shade retiring to a nest for the evening, River putting the pieces together, the authorities being able to see one of the psychedelic paisleys, and Honey whatsherface being diagnosed as terminal.
What I Dug?
We actually get to see Shade kick a little ass! That's not something I'd expect to see a whole lot of during this series, but it's pretty fun to see when it does. We also get to see that little bit in her belly glow... making me think that might pay off sooner than I'd originally thought.
The hazmat team can see the madness paisleys! Well, that answers that, right? Well, I suppose we don't have quite enough information to say that outright. What we do know is that the ones found here are definitely visible.
I thought it was neat that LePuck was trying to make himself less valuable to the Meta-goon-squad by forcing himself to hate Loma. That seems to be something that just might work under "Madness rules".
The art still rules.
What I Didn't?
Not terribly sure where the Honey plot is going. The doctor informs her that she would need an entire new body if she wants to survive... and I am a bit trepidacious about where that might be heading.
The back-up Life With Honey skits still bore the hell out of me. The joke was played out several months ago... I would have loved three more pages of actual Shade than this. It also doesn't help matters that all three pages were included as the issue preview... I mean, what's the point?
Bits and Pieces:
Another excellent chapter in the Shade-away-from-home story arc. Pieces are falling into place, and it feels as though we're drawing ever closer to everything coming together.
8.25/10
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