What is it about horror stories that has that one character that can save everyone from a bad situation, but they make the most irrational decision possible and go completely against their nature? I don’t know the answer since and I’m not going to pretend that I understand why the horror genre is the only one subjected to this character “glitch”, but I will say that Severed unfortunately suffers from it. This book has some major plot details that are spread throughout the entire issue and it makes it really hard to talk about it without spoiling the story.I will not spoil the book for you, but because of that I will have to talk in very vague terms. After the last issue, Sam is very un-trusting of their new friend and frankly she has every right to be since he’s a kid killing monster. She checks up on him and reveals her doubts to Jack, who frankly is too dense to get her rational thinking. The two of them fight and basically have that scene in which they say everything that the audience has been thinking, but that the characters were too polite to say to one another. Afterwards they make up, but by doing so they seal their fate.That’s about all I can say really.
Let me get the good out-of-the-way first. The art is still something special and is as strong as it was from the first issue. Artist Attila Futaki has a marvelous style that is perfect for horror and the period the story is set in. The art is unchanged by the story, which is a good thing. The story on the other hand was frustrating. Now I’m not one to whine and complain when a story does something I don’t like or character does the opposite of what I think will happen. In fact I love to be pissed off by a story when it emerges me so much that I feel deep emotions when things don’t go the way I want them to. It shows the quality and skill of the writing to make you love and hate something at the same time.That being said I was frustrated by this issue for another reason altogether.
I absolutely do not like it when a the smartest character in the book that’s kept others from making mistakes, makes the biggest mistake of them all. What’s worse is that in this issue it’s just to prove themselves right since they were already free of the situation they felt stuck in before.I can’t say that I’ll be back for the next issue, I think that my journey ends right here. The writers of the book said from the beginning that they wanted a sense of dread and suspense to flow throughout the book and to be honest they were doing a fantastic job until this issue. The sense of dread, the danger is gone and regardless if the story ends with a happy ending it will not have the same meaning as it once did. Others may read this book and think that it’s great and if you want more details from me after reading it for yourself,head back here and I’ll tell you why this issue broke the “rules” of its own story and thus left me the reader alienated.
Score: 1/5