Each issue of Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab have been interesting in that the approach is different. They’re almost different genres in a strange way. The best way to think of the third issue is as if it were a police procedural. In many ways it is as we meet Michael’s friends and delve deeper into his life, but it feels like a routine we’ve seen before. The first friend is Samuel who is visibly nervous about Cyrus asking questions about Michael or “Mikey” as he was called. Another friend arrives and between Samuel’s big mouth and Cyrus’ detective skills we learn that Chad is now boyfriend to the girl that Michael probably loved. Cyrus leaves and confides in his taxi driving friend who isn’t as shocked as he imagined her being, about his strange situation.
It’s the details that make this story good. For instance, when Cyrus meets Michael’s “girl” Hayley, he lights a cigarette and hands it off to her. Why? Because he’s a better detective than he realizes as he deduced from Samuel that Michael had started smoking and so in conclusion his best friend would smoke as well or be the one that got him into smoking. It’s simple and quick, but it stood out to me and reminded me of the first issue in which writer Dave Dwonch lays out what makes Cyrus a detective without us even realizing it.
Another enjoyable scene was Cyrus in the bar talking to a working girl. It showed his character and the world he lives in. He turned down the “offer”, but still bought the woman some drinks because basically they dwell in the same late night world. It’s a scene that wasn’t absolutely necessary to the story and its only real effect was to place Cyrus in a specific location, but it was still a solid character moment.
This may sound weird, but I personally enjoy the way that Anna Lencioni illustrates noses. As someone who used to dabble with art and looks at comics weekly, noses constantly bother me. If you illustrate them realistically you risk making everyone look kind of hideous. The alternative of course is a stylized nose that looks cartoonish. Long story longer, Lencioni’s noses are impressive in that they look stylized, but realistic. They look cute. The rest of the art continues to be spot on. This issue is very bright and colorful showing that Lencioni and Dwonch are working in sync with each other on all aspects of the comic.
There are some pacing elements and story points that aren’t as strong as the last two issues, but otherwise this continues to be a very strong mini-series. If comics are like resumes, then Dwonch and Lencioni are handing in a hell of a resume that should be catching the attention of the industry and readers alike.
Score: 4/5
Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab #3 Writer/Letterer/Colorist: Dave Dwonch Artist/Tones: Anna Lencioni Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/6/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital