Flavor #3
Image Comics
Writer: Joseph Keatinge
Artist: Wook Jin Clark
Is there any meat to the dish Flavor is serving?
The third issue of Keatinge’s new series picks up in the black market of The Bowl known as Fishmongers where we witness an unruly group crowded around a ring. In the second issue, we see Xoo rearing to jump in herself, fully equipped with a set of knives. However, it’s not a fight she’s ready to engage in. In The Bowl, cooking is widely revered as a sport, and at Fishmongers, Xoo and other unlicensed chefs like her have the opportunity to partake in a high-stakes cooking competition. Xoo has yet to get her hands on any Garuda truffles but plans on using the competition to obtain some.
The details in the art of this first scene are everything we could hope for, successfully depicting a crowd of slightly disheveled men hungry to see some well-cooked meals (pun intended). As in the first two issues, the art is colorful, and the lines are clean. Artist Wook Jin Clark also does a fantastic job of conveying emotions for these characters.
A short recap at the beginning of the issue promises that we will soon gain insight into Anant and Xoo’s history as well as Uncle Geof’s secret, but don’t hold your breath. This is one of the few issues I have with the story. While the storytelling aspect and art are great, there is not much content in each issue. Issue #3 doesn’t offer any new insight into any of the story’s characters, which I find disappointing. The characters Keatinge has created have a compelling background I was hoping to see more of. Overall, it’s moving a little too slowly for my liking and is lacking intensity. At this point, there are many things we still need to know, and the pacing seems to be somewhat off. Keatinge and his creative team are certainly building suspense, but they need to hint at a revelation soon to keep readers engaged.
While we don’t learn much about Anant and Xoo’s history, we do see a little more of Anant in this issue. His initiation into culinary school parallels Xoo’s illegal activity at Fishmongers, which is nicely depicted by Clark. Throughout several panels, he mirrors both Xoo and Anant’s activity, reiterating the evident bond between them. Each panel is different yet alike with each character facing similar challenges. Both characters go through a wide array of emotions, which are expertly illustrated by Clark.
Unlike many other Image titles, Flavor’s content is completely suitable for children and offers insight into a unique world. With the unique addition of culinary consultant Ali Bouzari, Keatinge and his team have taken a very different approach to writing comics, which hopefully pays off.
Flavor #3
Unlike many other Image titles, Flavor's content is completely suitable for children and offers insight into a unique world. With the unique addition of culinary consultant Ali Bouzari, Keatinge and his team have taken a very different approach to writing comics, which hopefully pays off.
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Story
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Characters
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Art
1 Comment
Chelsea Weaver Smith, thanks so much for the post.Much thanks again. Really Cool.