After the events of Exquisite Corpses: Season One, we catch up with the winner of the game, Laura. Now taking care of Xavi and Jason with the money they were given for winning said game. They must keep an eye over their shoulder as they never know when the Thirteen may decide to go back on their deal. However, it may not be the Thirteen that is after them, as there appears to be a long line of Lone Gunman who belonged to a group known as the Mad Northwest. How do they tie into the Thirteen and the game? Is there a direct connection with them and the current controlling family, Massachusetts? And why have they set their sights on Laura, Xavi, and Jason after two years?
Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 – Written By Pornsak Pichetshote – Art By Alberto Ponticelli – Colors By Jordie Bellaire – Letters By Becca Carey - Edited By Steve Foxe, Greg Lockard, and Eric Harburn - Published By Tiny Onion/Image Comics
Credit: Tiny Onion/Image Comics
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
WRITING:
This is how you start off a new series and get the story started. Pornsak Pichetshote wastes no time getting us caught up on what Laura, Xavi, and Jason have been up to in the two years since the last game. Filling in the blanks and letting us know that time hasn’t repaired most wounds in this case. Laura is dealing with her anger at the system and need for revenge, Jason is still terrified that what happened in Oak Valley will happen again, so he hates Halloween, and Xavi is stuck being the glue that tries to hold it all together. After finding out what they have been up to, Pichetshote wastes no time introducing us to a new Lone Gunman and the concept of the Mad Northwest. This kicks the story into another gear and ramps up the energy of the story. After just one issue we have caught up with the characters we love, found out how the game has continued to haunt them over the last two years, introduce a group that is connected to the linage of the Lone Gunman, and started to explore what the Thirteen and game really are.
ARTWORK:
The artwork in this first issue matches the energy of the story and brings the reader further into this world. Alberto Ponticelli really brings every aspect of this world to life. He shows the world where they are hiding and life how it has continued. The haunting of what went down in Oak Valley is ever present in the artwork, most notably with the inclusion of the Lone Gunman mask that appears throughout the issue. The emotions the characters are feeling come across in body language and facial expressions which really give the reader all the context clues they need. When the action picks up the artwork shows the pace quickening as well. The violence is brutal and what we expect from this universe. The color scheme is a little more normal and tame. But when the time is right in the story Jordie Bellaire brings that signature color style in to remind you what universe this is.
check out my review of exquisite corpses: FOX MASK KILLER #1
Final Thoughts:
Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 kicks off the series with emotional weight, brutal action, and an intriguing new mystery. Pornsak Pichetshote reconnects us with Laura, Xavi, and Jason while showing how deeply the game still haunts them. The arrival of a new Lone Gunman and the Mad Northwest raises compelling questions about the Thirteen and what comes next. Alberto Ponticelli brings both the characters’ pain and the violence to life, while Jordie Bellaire balances a more restrained palette with the signature colors of this unsettling world. This is a strong first issue that leaves me eager to keep reading. Pick up a copy at your LCS and add this to your Pull List so you don’t miss a single issue of this series.
FINAL GRADE: 10/10
Let me know your thoughts on Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
