Raising Arizona
Book clubs like the one shown this issue in Erie, Arizona (oh, I see what they did there…) are what give sci-fi/fantasy geeks a bad name. Pushy, overbearing dude in charge? Check. Gets involved in some creepy cultish supernatural stuff that leads to murder? Check. Wait, that doesn’t usually happen? Guess it’s time for the Winchesters to get involved, then.
Better Lucky than Good?
Following their Vegas trip in the previous issue, Sam and Dean Winchester are back on the road. Dean is looking for any case he can find, while Sam is laser-focused on finding the demon that killed his girlfriend Jess and, long ago, their mother Mary. The decision is made for them when their 1967 Impala, nicknamed "Baby," suddenly runs out of gas. Apparently, they have a leaky gas tank. Managing to pull into a 24-hour service station nearby, they are told by the mechanic that he has a car with a perfect match for the fuel tank, so he can have it ready for them in the morning. There is a motel within walking distance; when they ask the receptionist for something to do, she tells them about a book club that is having its first meeting since the leader was killed in the woods. The coincidences just keep piling up.
After trying and failing to join the book club, the boys find Baby waiting for them. She is all fixed up with a full tank of gas and the engine running, yet there is no sign of the mechanic. They follow the book club out into the woods, specifically to a graveyard. Add in some angry spirits and some iron blades, and you have a fun distraction for the Winchester brothers. Then there is the little matter of Baby apparently having a mind of her own now, taking the boys for a ride to parts unknown.
Satanic Panic
This issue was not as strong as the last one, but it was still solid enough. There was more focus on the boys’ weird luck than there was on the case, which was a little disappointing. I was hoping there would be a lot more fun to be had with what was essentially a LARP (live-action role-playing) session gone wrong. I did really enjoy their failed attempt to get the book club to open up to them; I especially liked the role reversal where "college boy" Sam was the one who mixed up Frankenstein and his monster. That is the kind of thing you would expect from Dean, not Sam, so it just shows how messed up Sammy still is from being pulled back into "the life" and discovering his latent abilities at the same time.
The pacing was rough in this issue. Again, it seemed like the focus was more on the weird luck elements than it was on the actual case, which I guess makes a kind of sense since the weird luck is what brought them to the case in the first place. However, it was a clunky issue overall, with a very abrupt cliffhanger.
Sword and Sorcery
Greg Pak is clearly a fan of the show and knows the characters; however, I feel like he is having a hard time fitting full episodes into a single issue. There is a difference between 44 minutes and 20 pages, after all. This issue really felt like the page limitations hurt the story the most, but at the same time, I am not sure how it would have worked stretched over two issues. The "done in one" style adds to the early series feel of the book, even though this issue has a cliffhanger, so the creative team is breaking that rule already.
Art is once again attributed to Eder Messias on the cover, but credits are also given to Vincenzo Federici, Alessandro Ranaldi, Gerardo Gambone, and Pasquale Qualano. I have no idea why so many names are listed or what exactly each artist contributes. The art seems consistent throughout, so if they are all swapping roles, then they must have complementary styles. It is distracting to see so many names listed without knowing who is doing what. I wish there were more clarity regarding the art team.
Jeff Eckleberry and Ellie Wright are listed as the letterer and colorist, respectively, and both do a good job. I feel like the colors are a little too bright for a story that takes place mainly at night in the woods, but the flip side is that I can clearly see everything that is going on and nothing is lost in too many shadows. It is a bit of a trade-off.
Maybe They Should Rename the Car “Christine”
This book is now one for three as far as issues that I feel totally hit the mark. The first issue had its share of problems, mostly because it felt too modern and I did not care for the twist. This issue has major pacing issues and almost seemed more interested in setting up the next story than properly fleshing out this one. Given that it is set during seasons one and two of the show, that is actually fitting in a way, since the show was still finding its footing in those early days and had as many misses as hits.
Given Greg Pak’s comics pedigree, my hopes were a little higher that the series would hit harder right out of the gate; however, there are the restraints of working within a licensed property that need to be considered as well. I still think it is a good adaptation of the show and a solid extension of the stories told within, and it is much better than most of the novels that they have put out. Some of those were just dire. I would still recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the show and looking for more stories featuring Sam and Dean; I would just caution them to temper their expectations a bit while the creative team finds its footing.