Reviewer: Mathan “Best Promotional Campaign Ever!” Erhardt
Story Title: Pulled part 2
Written by: Jason Hall
Penciled, Inked & Cover by: John Watkiss
Colored by: Jeromy Cox
Lettered by: Ken Lopez
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics
This issue begins with intrepid reporter Deirdre Myers, in the office of the Relative Truth. The usual office hilarity is there, barbs are tossed back and forth. Unfortunately Myers’ editor gets on her for he lack of objectivity. We also learn that Ethicorp owns most of the media and that Myers has a grudge to bear, something to do with her brother. Just then a Deirdre receives her message from Carter Lennox.
We then find Lennox waking up and soaked in blood. His wife calls to check in, and he tries to mentally account for his whereabouts to account for his extra blood. On the other end of the phone while sorting his laundry, his wife finds the bra that Vi was looking for last issue. It’s also the same bra that Vi was wearing in the dream that Carter had, in which they had an encounter.
Later at school Vi is teased by her classmates and then has a bit of a breakdown in the bathroom. Back with Carter, he tries to retrace his path for the last day in order to account for his disorientation. Most the restarurant where he had his meeting is there, but a painting that he remembered isn’t there. However a entire building that he remembered dropping a person off at is completely missing, causing Carter to investigate further.
At her home Vi and her mother have a heart to heart about Vi’s recent behavior shift. And at her office Deirdre receives mysterious phone call that details an address and a time limit which the caller promises she will have proof her theories about the secret enforcers.
Meanwhile Carter’s investigation into the missing office building has lead him onto a crime scene. Then he begins to follow is intuition, down a manhole, which has him questioning why he’s acting like a character out of his writing. At the same time Deirdre follows her lead to the address. Being the nosy reporter, she goes out on a ledge, literally, to find out more, and ends up witnessing a murder. To Be Continued.
Sometimes second issues aren’t as compelling as the first issue was. But Hall manages to up the ante. He shows that just because something happened in a person’s head doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, and vice versa. The banter at the Relative Truth office was a nice light touch in a pretty dark book. But it’s official; I’m hooked.
Watkiss does an even better job this issue. But maybe that’s because of Carter’s memories of his meeting, which are rendered just like memories; clear yet kind of fuzzy. He also creates a world devoid of color, and any emotion, other than desolation. Characters aren’t happy, they just exist. The final page is one of the most frightening images I’ve seen in a while, but then again, I’m afraid of heights.
