Comic Review: Calamity Kate #1

Calamity Kate #1

Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Magdalene Visaggio

Artists: Corin Howell & Valentina Pinto

Kate Strand is in a rut. She is recently divorced, an overall mess, and lacks a support network. Fortunately for Kate, the world is full of monsters, so she takes this opportunity to move to LA to live out her dream: Become a monster slayer.

Calamity Kate is about, well Calmamity Kate (Kate’s superhero name) as she rebuilds her life and kills monsters. Writer Magdalene Visaggio (Kim & Kim, Eternity Girl) has created both wonderful characters and an interesting world in this debut issue. Kate is a joy to learn about and feels incredibly human and relatable. She is down on her luck and does her best to make the most out of her situation. The problem is she is just a bit too destructive and doesn’t realize that she might be causing trouble for herself and those that she loves, despite her good intentions. Kate as a character feels sincere, and it makes her instantly likable. Her brash nature leads to quite a few laughs through this issue, making this a fine action comedy.

The first half of the issue has great pacing. The two main characters are established well, and we get to know their personalities and history without too much exposition slowing everything down. The drama is honest, and no moment feels artificial. The second half’s pacing is a bit shakier than the first but is still wildly entertaining due to Kate’s reckless antics.

Corin Howell and Valentina Pinto are truly a dream team and perfectly complement Visaggio’s script. Howell has been busy lately, recently working on The Girl In The Bay, so her work in Calamity Kate is especially impressive. Her style is a perfect fit for this book, giving it a fine mix of lighthearted and exhilarating moments. Her expressions are terrific, adding energy to every moment. The monster battles are larger than life, with a cartoonish intensity injected into every panel.

Valentina Pinto adds so much life into Calamity Kate. The colors vary, going from dark browns and greens during action scenes to bright blues and yellows during the more slice of life moments. The monsters feel alive thanks to fun palette choices. As the issue picks up in drama, the palette switches to fiery oranges and reds to capture the intensity of the characters’ conversations.

Calamity Kate is a fun start to the series, showcasing a creative team that works incredibly well together. The drama, comedy, action, and art all come together to create an energizing comic book that is easy to recommend.

Calamity Kate comes out on March 13th, 2019.