Creator: Emma Kubert, Rusty Gladd / Image
There is a charm to the premise of Inkblot that I find just very endearing, perhaps because I am a new cat-parent and the mischievous, magical cat having all sorts of adventures. I’m very fond of this issue in particular, because the cat has managed to traverse realities and made friends with a giant sea monster, so you know that’s cool.
I think the thing I appreciate most about the series is the variance of the artwork. Kubert and Gladd’s combined effort in illustrating the various worlds that the space-distorting demon travels to and creates an endless string of opportunities that the duo take full advantage of.
The central library location is a great anchor location, and given the fantastical nature of the series, even jumping into the water opens up the world in fun ways.
The cat’s design is oddly iconic, with its big pulsing eyes, and malleable outline. And given that Inkblot #3 is solely focused on giving the cat ample screen time on the high seas, I love how the book looks and feels. The panels are expertly constructed, the colors make it very easy to distinguish the different actions going on on each page, and the set pieces are absolutely breath taking. Visually, lots of great things going for it.
The writing is fine. It doesn’t have quite the same impact as the visuals, but it’s serviceable. The signature cursive lettering that frames the series is probably my least favorite design choice, but it’s minor in the grand scheme of things. I think one of the telling things is that the story could be gleaned without any dialog. The narration helps provide fleeting context and the dialog of the characters textures the world, but it ultimately feels auxiliary to the heavy lifting of Kubert’s pencils and colors, and Gladd’s inks. Gladd’s writing helps guide the story and has a couple fantastic quips that stick with you, but ultimately the reason I’m turning the page is to see the next big act of magic and alteration of space-time.
If you enjoyed the first two issues of Inkblot, you will continue to enjoy this one. If you haven’t, I think you could very easily pick this issue up and revel in its self-contained narrative about this cat doing cat things on a large scale.
7.9 “Deep Sea Adventures” out of 10
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
Show Comments