Velvet #6

By Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting & Bettie Breitweiser

Velvet is as smart as comic books come. Every action is planned and laid out by Brubaker with such precision. The reader is treated to Velvet’s every move and every second is engrossing. Velvet was an already well fleshed out character but even into issue #6, Brubaker develops more of her back story to further enrich her character. Issue six puts Velvet’s skills on display as she makes her way back to London in an effort to unravel the mystery surrounding her and the agency.

Velvet is beautifully paced. Brubaker’s story-telling is systematic. The dialogue and narration is continually sophisticated. Brubaker makes the reader truly feel like they are in the head of a super spy. Issue six shows off the cogs moving in Velvet’s head as she starts to put pieces together and make plans to solve the puzzle. Brubaker always manages to flesh out Velvet’s supporting characters in great detail as well and issue six introduces some great new characters to the mix.

Epting’s art is as cinematic an experience as comics come. Each panel and sequence is one gorgeous shot after another. A few establishing shot panels like a car waiting in the rain outside a phone booth or a sun rise in London blur might make a reader forget they were actually just reading a comic. It is always fun to see Velvet let loose and issue #6 gives Epting an opportunity to really showcase what makes her so dangerous. Breitweiser demonstrates why she is one of the premier colorists in the industry as she brings to life Epting’s art in stunning fashion. There is great range and refinement to her colors. Sun shining through a window on a longing face, the glow of lights in a downpour, to the color of a sunrise shining off a gun are all examples of what makes her so great.

Velvet is what you expect to get when you hear the names Brubaker, Epting, Breitweiser. It’s perfectly paced, expertly written, beautiful and realistic with amazing colors. Issue six is another great issue in what is a perfect spy story.