Comic Review: Pearl #2 (DC Comics)

By Alan Spinney September 19, 2018 #Brian Michael Bendis, #Comic Reviews, #DC Comics, #Michael Gaydos

The creators of Jessica Jones, Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, continue to bring us new and cool stuff. This time, it’s issue 2 of Pearl, from their DC imprint Jinxworld.

Pearl is all about atmosphere and cool. The experience of reading Pearl issue 2 is just that: like a movie that is less determined to hit plot points and story beats, and more about easing into the shady world of tattoos, gangsters, and beautiful assassins. Pearl Tanaka IS beautiful. And wilful. If looks could kill!

As we discover, Pearl has been heading toward a life as a tattoo artist since she was a preteen. Now that romance is tempting her to cross over into potential conflict with her branch of organized crime, she needs to be needle-sharp in her behavior. Set the rules, obey the dark lines, and fill in the blanks. Yakuza.

Beautifully rendered page after page, the reading experience here is delightful. But it’s more like a dream meal of tapas and appetizers than a sirloin steak. The sizzle is the sale, and we sail through an issue of Pearl mighty quick. An hour later, we will want to know more about Pearl, but we must wait to be fulfilled.

DC Jinxworld, Pearl #2, $3.99 for 19 pages of content, plus 3 pages of creator talk. Assume Mature Rating.

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!