The same problem I’ve had with this series unfortunately continues into this third issue. I can say that this issue was the most confusing one yet for me. The story progressed in both 1986 and 2013 well, but there were so many things I wasn’t sure of that it really takes a good amount of the experience and enjoyment out of this book. The issue kicks off with a NYPD cop named Ciccone questioning Dayoung. Ciccone lets Dayoung know that everyone’s after her due to her recent actions that includes resisting arrest and grand larceny. The cops actually think that Dayoung stole her equipment from Quintum Mechanics since their logo is all over her gear. So, they returned the equipment to Quintum. Dayoung is furious. However, I’m not sure if she’s angered simply because they took her stuff, or because it could affect this whole space-time continuum thing. Thanks to her acrobatic-like skills, she ends up escaping the interrogation room as well as the whole police station before they can interrogate her any further or arrest her. We also figure out why the NYTPD was put in place: Dayoung claims you can’t trust anyone over 30.
Back in 2013, Commissioner Gomez and Leshawn create a diversion so Dayoung can meet with an informant named Joshua. Joshua tells her that the machine is ready for her to go back to the exact moment when the Q-Engine was invented… but I thought they already went over Dayoung doing this multiple times, and I don’t remember this happening. Two men who seem to be the CEO of Quintum’s cronies are able to rough Dayoung up a bit after she tries to defeat them. Then they both throw her into the machine, saying they’re there to make sure she goes back. But when we’re thrown back into 1986, those two men are still after her. So do they exist in both times? And if they went after her, why didn’t they do it discreetly after she went rather than throw her in the machine? Couldn’t they just leave her in 1986? Honestly, I’m just getting really sick of this whole time thing. I haven’t figured it out yet so I probably won’t at all. I’m finding myself not even caring if Dayoung makes it back to 2013, I had to look back to the first issue to even remember why she’s there in the first place.
I liked the art just as much as the previous issues, but I did have a problem with it on a few occasions. Nothing technique-wise, it’s still beautiful and very well-colored, but in a few of the panels it’s really tough to assume what’s going on. For example, when Dayoung escapes the interrogation room via the window. Then it shows her underneath a table which seems to be in the interrogation room still because there’s shards of glass on a chair next to her. Then she does a backflip, and all of a sudden it looks like she’s out where everyone else works in the police station rather than the interrogation room. She also vaults over a car, but it looks like she’s way higher in the air than she’d really be. It just looks like she’s awkwardly floating in mid-air.
Although this book started off looking promising, I was extremely disappointed with this issue. It just keeps getting more confusing rather than making more sense each issue. Hopefully it turns around next month.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Brandon Montclaire Artist: Amy Reeder Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 12/31/13