Starve #3

By Brian Wood, Danijel Zezelj & Dave Stewart

As Starve enters its third round in the narrative, Gavin slowly, but surely reconnects with his daughter, Angie, which will no doubt have serious repercussions. Their development comes to the forefront and is definitely a change of pace from the first two issues.

Early in this issue, it felt like the story was slowing down and about to hit a proverbial wall, but Brian Wood had a plan. All this exposition, despite some cheesy dialog, was to deepen the reader’s understanding for Gavin’s only love in his life. Wood even makes it a point to clue the audience into what this whole issue is about. Of course, the show Starve, takes center stage in the second half of the book, but interestingly enough there is no real grandstanding from the main character or the author, again driving the key theme of this issue home. Brian Wood once again shows his writing prowess off; it’s an enticing read and a great education.

Angie has been previously depicted as the apple of this series’ eye. She’s always shrouded in crisp, warm colors and rendered beautifully. She still retains that beauty, but her color is definitely muted. This can be interpreted in many different ways, so it will be up to the creative team to give a definitive answer to this. Yet, this choice can still be appreciated because it enriches the material and gives it a dynamic look. Angie is finally entering this world and plot more, so it’s time she looked like it. The dichotomy to how the food in Starve is shown being prepared versus its appearance when presented is also something to pay attention to. All these elements make the artwork that Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart are doing intricate and immersive. Every page is a new experience.

Starve is still killing it on every level. Despite the quiet moments, there is still a kinetic energy and noir tone to it that won’t let one put the comic down. This issue shows that the creative team is aware to not let things become stale and is willing to shake things up. They challenge themselves and in turn their readers. I give up, I’m sold on this series!