Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare #3

By Tyler James, John Lees, Alex Cormack, Jules Rivera

“I chose you! I made you something special. You can’t just throw that back in my face!”

This is not a story about Pokemon…I repeat…NOT a story about Pokemon.

This issue is not for the faint of heart. Writers Tyler James and John Lees go to the extreme with issue #3 of Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare. Granted this story has had its share of chaos, but not quite like this time around. Oxymoron, a truly ruthless interpretation of the Joker, takes to new methods in getting the attention of cop Mary Clark. In doing so he also reveals himself to the people of Swanstown, showing the people that he is a real threat.

This issue deals a lot with Mary’s past and how Oxymoron is able to use it against her. His biggest thing is being able to manipulate and control people due to the contradictions they have made in their lives, something Mary admits everyone has dealt with before. During a pep talk to the rest of the SPD she shouts out the phrase “We all have secrets. But none of us deserve to die for them. It’s the simple justification of a mad coward.” James and Lees do a great job of defining Mary Clark as the true hero of this story – and she faces many struggles because of the Oxymoron this issue as well.

The artwork this issue is done by Alex Cormack along with colorist Jules Rivera. A scene featuring Oxymoron getting interviewed by local reporter Krystal Gaines showcases some of Rivera’s ability in the coloring as we see the whole scene taking place through the lens of the camera, and being faded because of it, along with lines running through the panels distorting the images a bit. This is also a scene featuring some of Oxymoron’s most manipulative moves yet, which showcases how he’s always a few steps ahead, and seemingly always in control.

James and Lees dive into Mary Clark’s past in this issue as they reveal to us what caused the SPD to frown upon her in the first place. She’s made mistakes in her past, ones the Oxymoron has been using to his advantage, but it’s made clear this issue that she has no intentions of giving up. When it comes to the art this issue there’s no holding back from artist Alex Cormack either. The interview scene described above is detailed and gruesome. This issue gets your heart pounding!