Bitter Root #3
Image Comics
Writers: David F. Walker & Chuck Brown
Artists: Rico Renzi & Sanford Greene
I’m repeating this prediction once more; Bitter Root will find its way to movie theaters in a grand fashion. While it’s set during the Harlem Renaissance, the social commentary in the series strikes our current era hard. It shows how hate affects those who use it and those on the receiving end of it; specifically, racial violence. It shows there are degrees of those corrupted by hate and whether they can be reached beyond their ignorance. These are difficult topics we all know about but don’t grapple with often, usually choosing a Us vs. Them mentality. What the team behind this book has to say is important, it’s a plus that they’ve made it this interesting. The series is an outstandingly powerful voice speaking on a problem that’s plagued society forever. This is an absolute must-read.
Moving swiftly, the story picks up in three areas: Harlem, the Sangerye Tonsorial, and Northern Mississippi. In a well-conceived side-by-side, we see the chaos ensuing in all areas. Each area is infected with jinoo, leading to intense visuals and story beats that this creative team easily brandishes. This issue is an escalation, pure and simple. Stakes get a raise with Miss Knightsdale and Doctor Sylvester’s involvement.
In an imaginative scene, she gives him a serum which turns him into a new type of monster. By the end, he’s destroying those who have been infected in stark contrast to the Sangerye method of curing them. There’s also more jinoo exposition with a suggestion that there is a world beyond our own where they stem from. It feels like the action doesn’t stop in this book, but it’s in the best way. We still get a story and never feel held back by the story beats or decompression. It’s astonishing how much I love this book.
We even get another member of the Sangerye family this issue; Uncle Enoch. He lives across the river in what must be a laboratory. When we meet him, his guard dogs go after Cullen since he smells like a jinoo after fighting one recently. The introduction is standoffish since he’s been nearly disowned by the rest of the family. Beforehand, we learn from Ma Etta that he’s a huge disappointment and is responsible for deaths in the family.
Speaking of the matriarch of the Sangerye’s, Ma Etta can whoop an ass. The minute I read her first few lines in issue one, I thought “she’s gonna break someone.” I am so happy to see her tear apart the Berg in his current state. He approaches her while he’s going berserk and Ma Etta stands still waiting for him, talking him down despite his infection. Having her kick ass instead of running shows her resilience and strength in a wonderful character moment. Plus the panel work for it kicked just as much ass.
The gothic-fantasy vibe takes over the book putting every scene squarely in this newly-built mystical world. The moody yellows, blues, and purples that Renzi and Greene use to make the book’s settings feel Transylvania-esque. Then there are the red eyes of the Jinoo and glowing yellow eyes of Doctor Sylvester, both horrifying and majestic. The art team captures the essence of their genre perfectly and makes it their own. They don’t just stop there.
Somehow each full-page panel in the book has weight to the story while still being stunning images alone. I’m talking about poster-like images that need to be displayed in art galleries. During Doctor Sylvester’s transformation, there’s a full-page panel of him staring down at Miss Knightsdale reaching his hand out. His eyes glow, his face is redder, balls of light float around him. The art team consistently raises the bar on what excellent is and this issue is no exception.
Bitter Root #3 is an intricate issue, balancing plotlines perfectly alongside artwork that could line museums. If you’re looking for a new reading experience with a genre-defining book, then this is it. Once again, I urge everyone to read the essays after the main content. They’re insightful and deserve attention. Don’t sleep on this series, it is a must-read!
Writer’s note: In my review of Bitter Root #1 I mistakenly identified Chuck Brown as one of the artists instead of one of the writers. I’ve corrected that here but my compliments on the writing and art from the first issue still stand, it’s all great.
Bitter Root is picking up the pace and building a masterpiece as it goes. Pick up this issue and the last two!
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