Shutter #3

by Joe Keatinge, Leila Del Duca, and Owen Gieni

Issue three of Shutter breaks open the larger world while Keatinge and Del Duca show they can make you laugh then break your heart.

The real intrigue and appeal of Shutter so far has been the world. The secondary characters and villains have been zany and interesting. Issue three delivers on that further with a new hit man entering the fold with quite a blood soaked and expletive laced introduction, which is often the best kind of introduction.

The issue jumps back in the past on two separate accounts: One time to build back story for Kate and Alain and their friendship. This establishes the length of their friendship and their roles but does not really add any weight to it a reader would have already had inferred in the previous issues. The second time is for a back story on the shooter at the end of issue two. This is where Shutter and Keatinge shine. It is a little absurd but a little heartwarming and still a little fucked up.

The plot and book is still driven by Kate, but three issues in she still feels undeveloped and unlikable. Keating has given the reader many reasons to be excited about the world Kate lives in but outside of the first issue, Kate struggles to garner any really needed reader investment. On the surface it is clear who she is and what others are driving her to do, but anything deeper has not come across yet. Issue three does take time to develop her a little more but only really in the few final pages. The issue does end on an exciting promise and ensures the reader is guaranteed to learn more about Kate next issue.

Issue three is a visual tour de force. Del Duca’s art is downright stunning. Del Duca is able to deliver emotionally crippling images, jaw dropping character introductions and great character acting all within seconds of each other. Del Duca varies her art when dealing with flashbacks and the origin of some oddball characters. These style changes provide weight to the bombastic transitions to the current day. Gieni’s colors continue to stand out and act to really highlight and accentuate Del Duca’s art. The lighting effects from Gieni’s colors give many scenes their true life.

Shutter is home to a lot of quirky, creative, and enjoyable characters. Issue three really showcases what is so great about Shutter, the world and those who inhabit it. Unfortunately the only uninteresting character is the one the book is centered around and issue three does little to further invest the reader in Kate. The team of Keatinge and Del Duca have built a beautiful and original world which should give readers the confidence Kate will join in soon.