Calamity Kate #1: Far From Dead

This was a decent first issue with a lot of potential. The mix of Kate’s home life and her monster hunting made for an interesting dynamic.

To me, the juxtaposition of the badass title character moving in with her sister and niece and slicing apart giant monsters made for an interesting story. The scenes of Kate at home with her niece and sister are like a sitcom of the wreckless woman living with her somewhat more organized sister who is a single mother with a 6-year-old kid; equal parts wholesome and hilarious. Then we cut to a scene of Kate slicing off a giant reptilian beast’s tongue with a katana, as one does. It was this contrast gave the story a nice balance of fun and epic.

The art managed to be consistent while still feeling appropriate for both darker and more upbeat parts of the story. It was easy to believe Kate both as a strong and vicious monster killer as well as a self-centered but loving sister and aunt without huge variations on the art. The creature designs were great. Especially the Seven Fabled Beasts, some of which were truly horrific.

This was a fun read. The balance of family life and monster fights makes for what could be a great series.