Pearl #1, from the Jinxworld imprint of DC Comics, has a tattooist-related theme that kinda gets under your skin.
This new title from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos is a beautifully designed production. The model for the title character is credited as being Exotik Alek, and there is a tattoo artist credited too. This makes the book feel ‘real’, as Bendis plays with the adult-toned tale of assassins and crime.
It’s about female tattooist Pearl, the receiver, and giver of tattoos. In the murkily green toned world of Pearl, the people are realistically rendered but opaquely fashioned. We never know what’s up to their silky sleeves. Who is loyal to whom?
I like this book. It’s mysterious and original. The art is gorgeous and nuanced. The characters, as masked as they are, give off hints of cinnamon and intricate evil. The fine lines of decency are crossed and burned. A subtext of sex permeates the pages. Try it, you might want more.
Bonus material in issue 1: A six-page reprinted black and white Batman short story by the same creative team, and a description of Bendis’ Jinxworld imprint.
DC Comics, Pearl #1, $3.99 for 30 pages of comic content. Mature readers
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