Scarlett #3
Recap
Scarlett has fought her way to the Arashikage’s final test—a death-defying mission that could change the Clan’s fortunes.
But where do Jinx’s loyalties truly lie?
Review
Scarlett #3 picks up with Scarlett infiltrating an enemy base, as the Arashikage test her loyalty with a mission to disable a security system. What ensues is an issue so full of action and spectacle, it will knock your socks off. In contrast to the typical, “climb the tower” action set pieces, Scarlett #3 sees Scarlett descending a tower as she faces obstacles in an unexpected direction. Meanwhile, this sinister test is bookended by the Arashikage’s true mission, one that looks to be impactful for the future of the Energon Universe as a whole, and the G.I Joe book to come.
The action in this series continues to be top notch in Scarlett #3, with Marco Ferrari doing an excellent job with everything from the poses, down to the choreography. Ferrari dominates the game in the pages that just see Scarlett mowing through enemies, making this comic feel very cinematic, harkening back to classic Kung Fu films. This issue feels like it could be a shot-for-shot storyboard for a potential film as it flows so seamlessly from page-to-page and panel-to-panel. Ferrari really does an excellent job bridging that gap between an espionage spy theme and the hard hitting action of a Kung Fu adventure. This is the kind of off-the-wall, yet grounded action that is sorely missing in today’s comic landscape.
Because this is such an action heavy issue, the plot here is minimal, with only a few developments that move this book along. That is definitely not a negative, since seeing Scarlett in action also helps develop her character, showing the lengths she will go to save her friend. It is also worth noting that it is great to see a book that features a woman being awesome without any of the characters commenting on her gender. This normalizes the idea of a cool, badass woman by showing her in action rather than just saying she is awesome.
This book concludes on a fantastic cliffhanger, showing the arrival of Cobra Commander, helping tie this book into the greater Energon Universe, connecting it not only to G.I Joe, but also the idea that Cobra Commander is using Energon to raise his notoriety and become a powerful threat. It will be fascinating to see how the Arashikage becomes indoctrinated into Cobra Commander’s schemes, much like Destro and the M.A.R.S Corporation has. There is no doubt that Scarlett will also bring this knowledge back to the heroes, kicking off the events of G.I Joe, and fans are so excited to see it.
Final Thoughts
Scarlett #3 is an action packed love letter to classic Kung Fu films that mixes in the nuance and intrigue of an espionage tale, with the fun world of G.I Joe.
Scarlett #3: A Quick Fall
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10