After a couple of months of break for Shutter, Kate Christopher and her crazy world of COOL is back.  And for that knowledge, I a proudly quote Alarm Clock Cat when I say…”BRING IT ON, YA HELLBOUND MOTHERFUCKERS!” When we last left former explorer and overall “It” lady Kate Kristopher, she was running for her life with her youngest and previously unknown little brother from a larger bunch of unknown siblings who seem intent to kill her with extreme prejudice.  We also had some slaughter going on elsewhere in this expansive world by the hands (horns actually) of a pretty deadly triceratops. Things pick up right where #6 left off with the added element of Ms. Kate getting into some trouble back at her city home where she has been absent.  Kate has been missing work (due to the fratricide issues and all) and is  looking like she might just get fired (cue the dramatic music).  But of course who really cares right now as Kate is currently head deep in battle with some giant dragon skeleton thingy.  If that isn’t hot enough, we also lose (maybe?) a very dear (or annoying) friend along the way. Depends how you look at it. Eventually, the dragon and its minions are too much for Kate and her little brother and they succumb to the attack, being taken to Cambodia to meet with another sibling and her croco and gargoyle  henchmen.  Things are getting rough.  Stay tuned for more.

“More” is the appropriate description of this issue as the action is upped quite a bit.  Through these pages, the reader is given witness to a spectacular battle, lots of brutal violence, and some real world reaction making for a fantastical, yet believable opus of visual delight courtesy of Leila Del Duca’s sensational art and Joe Keatinge’s power word delivery.  Though both aspects of the creation are solid in this issue, it is Del Duca who really hits a strong stride here. Visually, Issue #7 is the best that I have bared witness to of a whole volume of work of pretty damn solid artistic renderings.  Del Duca has had a strong knack for making the bizarre look casual and everyday. Which has been an interesting feat, since she has been drawing all sorts of shall we say, interesting creatures throughout.  With the dragon though, I think she has quite simply blown things up.  But it’s not just that one.  All of her art here has high detail and style making for an opiate for the eyes.  This one is beautiful to look from front to back.  And that is saying a lot since this issue is also the most bloody to date as well.  It is brutal in some places.  But Del Duca never lets it get away from her.  She draws it with the same amount of passion as everything else in this series.

As for writer Joe Keatinge, he hits some good strides here as well.  Regarding our surprising loss in this issue, apparently it was something that he had wanted done a little bit earlier.  But instead, he gave the character some time to grow (maybe more annoying, but grow nonetheless) that made me actually feel a little tinge of sadness when it occurred.  But as things play out, we are all good as everything kind of works its way through.

Then, POW! The ending of this issue hits you like a cold slap in the face.  It is quite unexpected and pretty damn bold I would say.  I’m really interested to see how things are going to play out now thanks to yet another sweet Keatinge cliffhanger ending making me salivate for the next issue.

Shutter has been one wild and trippy ride that appears to be getting better and better with each passing issue.  The writing and art have made this world so large and encompassing that the sky is the limit to where things will land once they fall.  Quite truly, anything can (and probably will) happen before all is said and done.  And I for one, am looking to suck up each tasty morsel when it drops.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Joe Keatinge Artist: Leila Del Duca Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 12/10/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital