By Cat Wyatt

This is the start of a four-issue weekly miniseries, and man does it start off with a bang. The first issue in this intriguing new series is called ‘Old Flames’ which is very appropriate, considering what occurs inside. The main character is a main named Meserov (aka Misha), and he runs Heartbreak Incorporated. As the business name implies, it’s his job to break couples apart. He doesn’t care what the reason is for a person wanting a couple to break up, as long as they can pay. Though I get the impression, his usual clientele are looking for him to get their cheating spouses to knock it off (even if temporarily).

The first client we get to see isn’t exactly what I’d consider a catch. It’s pretty clear she’s with her husband for the money and nothing else. The way she sees it she’s invested in him too much to allow him to run off with some new girl now, so she needs this girl gone, and she needs her gone now. Which explains why she’s come to Heartbreak Inc.

I find the way he runs his business to be interesting. It’s clear that lawyers know about him, as that’s how this client was referred to him. He won’t take payment directly, but rather through said referral. I wonder if there’s a legal concern, and this is the best way of circumventing it? Perhaps concerns of prostitution or something equally obvious and alarming? Regardless it’s an interesting practice, to say the least. But then again, so is the job.

Naturally since this is a story worth telling, this case isn’t going to be such as easy one. As it turns out, our lovely protagonist recognizes the woman the client’s husband has been gallivanting around town with…and she’s bad news.

He says the two of them are two sides of the same coin, which seems both accurate and harsh. Apparently both of them have the ability to take life from others (through sexual contact – sounds a lot like a succubus/incubus if you ask me), but where Misha has learned from his past and takes only what he needs, Esther gluts herself on the life of others. She takes everything she wants, even if it’s just for fun. Hell, she literally killed two people in front of Misha simply to prove a point. Not the type of person I’d want in my town, to say the least.

Naturally these two predators can’t exist in the same town, especially since they both have such different methods of hunting. One will have to chase out their other, if either hope to continue the life they want. Unfortunately neither want to give this town up…so it’s going to be a fight to the death to decide it.

This was an interesting start to the miniseries. I’m honestly not sure where they’re going to go next with it. Maybe it’ll continue with Misha’s story, but I can also see them switching to another character with a similar but different story. Either way, they’ve already developed a fascinating world and it was done in so little time. I’m impressed.

The artwork is on the simpler side, with minimal to no shading, simple shapes and designs. It actually works for the story though, so I ended up loving it. Sometimes simple is better, it allows you to focus more on the story being told. And there’s still so much character to the art.

Score: 4/5

Twisted Romance #1
Image Comics