By Cat Wyatt

Just as with the previous two issues, Heavenly Blues #3 starts out telling us a bit more about one of our characters. In this case, we’re learning more about Hideki (the peeping Tom/drug addict) and his time among the living. It goes a long way to explain his obsession with the living. I’ll admit at the beginning of this issue I was still having doubts about how he would fit in with the rest of the group (in many ways he is the most different from them all).

Every character in this escapade is so different from the rest, and the more I learn about each of their backgrounds the more convinced of that I become. I don’t know much about Coin Counter’s life yet, but I can still tell a lot about his character (the fact that he’s willing to raid heaven because he’s bored says a lot about him). It’ll be interesting to see all of the character interactions between all of them.

Unfortunately, the job is going to be a lot more complicated than anticipated. Mostly because Erin and Isaiah managed to get bounties on their heads (remember that stunt they pulled in the last issue? Well apparently that had repercussions). Just when it seems like they have a plan, we’re reminded that just like in life, Isaiah has trusted the wrong people.

Upon seeing the bar clear out I knew something bad was going to happen (isn’t that pretty much always the case when that happens in the classic Westerns?), but I certainly wasn’t expecting a demon to show up to collect them. In retrospect, I don’t really know why I didn’t see that coming. I guess I just got used to the idea that the humans make this place hell just fine on their own.

I’m not sure how permanent death and dismemberment is in the underworld – but I’m assuming neither tend to stick too long (but I have no evidence for this). Perhaps I’m wrong, as our team seems disinclined to getting shot, but that could be a fear of pain or getting caught bit. Hard to say for sure. Still, the whole shoot out in the bar bit raised a lot of interesting questions about it.

While I had many concerns about how the team was going to function as a whole, it’s become pretty clear that we have at least two efficient pairs within the main group. Obviously the first is Isaiah and Erin, while the second surprisingly is Coin Counter and Amunet. They’re both pretty fantastic at fighting, as well as being equally fearless. I just know they’re going to make a terrifying duo.

Thanks to the money hungry mob outside the group is forced into splitting up. Well, more like Isaiah, Amunet, and Coin Counter made it out in one direction, while Erin got left behind (and subsequently dragged out by Hideki). Knowing what I now do about Hideki, a lot more of his actions are suddenly making sense, especially in regards to Erin.

I’m not really sure what I was thinking was going to happen, in regards to their way of breaking into heaven; but it certainly wasn’t what happened. I’m curious about how that’ll impact the rest of the series. Clearly the next step will be the actual infiltration, followed by the heist. I’m sure neither will go as easily as planned. I’m also not certain what will happen once they’re done. Do they get to stay in heaven, or do they have to go back? I have so many questions.

I’m really enjoying this series. It can be funny at points, which is good because it helps to balance out the heavier moments (such as the flashbacks explaining how each character died – those tend to be pretty heartbreaking). I’m actually happy that I can’t predict how things are going to go from here, there’s nothing better than finding a series than you won’t get bored by how obvious it all is.

The artwork is just as wonderful as it has been the past two issues. The cover is probably my second favorite (the cover for the second issue maintaining its hold on number one), and it obviously tells us which character will be getting the most development in that particular issue (I really like that trend – I hope they keep it up). The demons were a little bland and unremarkable; they looked more like a stereotypical depiction of a demon than anything else. I was hoping for a bit more from this series, but then again they’re probably the lowest level demons, so hopefully the higher ups are more unique (and if so, I sort of hope for our team’s sake they never come across them).

Score: 4/5

Heavenly Blues #3
Scout Comics