Neighborhood Watch #3: Slowly Unraveling

As with the first two issues, Sarah Gailey’s writing is the highlight of this series. Gailey develops these characters in ways that feel both natural and earned. Furthermore, Gailey writes some genuinely hilarious moments in this comic, something many writers struggle to do. A conversation occurs amongst the Willow Haven HOA, and the conversation ends with a fitting yet funny conclusion. However, a noticeable trend is that Neighborhood Watch occasionally reveals information that feels very abrupt. In the last issue, Bianca discovers a file that describes the Open Arms Collective as a terror group; a reveal that had very little build-up. In this issue, there’s a reveal about the dynamic between Willow Haven and the Open Arms Collective that comes out of left field. Issues 1 and 2 give almost no groundwork for this reveal beforehand, and the result feels jarring. Of course, Neighborhood Watch #3 ends on a cliff-hanger, as is to be expected by the mystery genre of comics. However, the cliff-hanger doesn’t feel forced; it feels like a natural progression of this storyline, building suspense for issue 4. 

Visually, Neighborhood Watch continues to impress. Haining’s distinct art style and Rebecca Nalty’s colors cause the panels to pop off the page. Halfway through the comic, a scene occurs where a character walks from Willow Haven to the Open Arms Collective. During this scene, the character reminisces about their past. The panels blend and twirl around each other to illustrate the character’s physical presence and their decaying mental state; a subtle but brilliant way to convey their emotions. It’s the strongest visual moment in the already stunning issue; it serves as a reminder that Haining’s layouts do as much narrative work as Gailey’s writing.