If you take one part science fiction, mix it with a pinch of Indiana Jones, add a dash of mystery, and slather that awesomeness in gorgeous art, you’d have Shutter.
The creative team of Shutter initially sold me in the previews with Leila Del Duca’s incredibly detailed layouts and character designs and Owen Gieni’s gorgeous colors; however, eye-catching artwork is wasted unless the story is up to snuff, and Joe Keatinge delivers a fantastical page-turner full of intriguing characters that seriously makes you wish that this were a weekly book.
But, onto the issue itself!
Issue #2 of Shutter picks up exactly where Issue #1 dropped us off. Kate Kristopher, who is the last in a long line of Earth’s greatest explorers, has been kidnapped by robots and ninja ghosts and encased in a pink crystal. The only reason she is given for her capture is that her kidnappers are protecting her from her siblings, which are still unknown to her and the reader (for the most part). Did I mention that, on top of that, her kidnappers are being chased down by the NYPD AND Irish lion mobsters?! No? Well, that’s exactly the kind of action readers can expect from the pages of Shutter. Keatinge continues his engaging brand of storytelling throughout Issue #2 by giving the reader just enough of a look into his characters’ backgrounds while still maintaining an undisturbed flow with the main storyline.
The comic is a bit on the wordy side, which can be a turnoff to some readers, but for the most part, it didn’t bother me in the slightest, simply because most of the story’s information is presented through the character’s dialogue. Shutter’s letterer, Ed Brisson, does a phenomenal job of leading the reader around the pages without lingering too long on one particular panel on a massive chunk of dialogue.
If you’re looking for a well-written, fantastical comic that will sustain you between your Saga fixes, I highly recommend Shutter by Image Comics. It’s definitely a story that utilizes every member of its creative team, and, hopefully, it will become a fan favorite among comic readers.
