Loveless #14 Review

Reviews

Reviewed by: Mathan “She Wants Revenge” Erhardt
Story Title: Morning Seeds

Written by: Brian Azzarello
Illustrated by: Danijel Zezelj
Colored by: Patricia Mulvihill
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics

The issue begins with Ruth paying a visit to an undertaker. Ruth holds him at gunpoint and flashes back two days prior to when the killed a man, Frank, who’s now in the undertaker’s care. Back in the present Ruth explains that she’s got a grudge to bear against not only the man and the undertaker but everyone in Blackwater.

Then we flashback to how that grudge was born. After being raped by Union soldiers, Ruth was publicly humiliated in the center of town, and no one came to her aide out of fear. As she gathered herself and walked away from the scene of her humiliation one boy provides her with a blanket to cover up. As she continued to walk she remembered a happier time with Johnny and Wes.

Ruth and the undertaker have a standoff and share a joke, before she finally ends his life. Then we flashback to the a moment shared by the undertaker and Frank where they discussed the nature of death in Blackwater.

Azzarello’s dialogue is like jazz; what’s not there is as important as what is. Ruth’s words to the undertaker aren’t crystal clear in the beginning but by the end of the issue you understand her completely. He’s also created a powerful character in Ruth; she’s been through so much that one has to marvel at her resilience. And as always Robin’s lettering is top notch.

Zezelj’s art fits this book perfectly. His art is hard and stark, like the books tone and setting. It’s a perfect match up. The scene of Ruth’s humiliation is so perfectly rendered, it’s almost too perfectly rendered. Mulvihill’s coloring on this book is brilliant. The scheme for the flashbacks is completely different from the scenes in the present, but both are equally muted. The fourth panel on page two is and excellent example of the coloring and illustration meshing perfectly.