Tales From William F. Nolan's Dark Universe #2by Leesa HanaganReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 The first story is "Boyfriend," with art by Steve Wands. Julie is writing a letter to her father to let him know that she's leaving the town he left her in. Julie has a boyfriend from outer space that she calls Pepper. She is barely literate and can't type, so her letter is painstakingly hard to read and believe. The story she tells is horrifying and graphic (NSFW). Despite its fantastical elements, if you take away the alien and alien behavior, it's a story of how some men take advantage of young, uneducated girls, exploit them, then make them believe that the horrible things they do are just fine. I can't imagine the horror of having to read a letter like that from someone I care about.Wand's art was very good, like it was created out of vibrant pastels. Many bright panels, Julie looks so cheerful and happy in these (which just adds to the horror). Then there are the darker, more sinister panels--well done. In "Him, Her, Them," with art by Michael Dorman, we meet Him and he right away tells us that he likes women, he just doesn't respect them as they are untrustworthy. We briefly learn about his upbringing, so by the time he meets Her, we know he doesn't have anything good in mind, even though he's certain she's "the one." He convinces her to spend the night with him. The scene shifts into Her story, soon after they have had sex. She's not that much different from him: dark, sinister, and she's ready to do some damage... Will either of them live through the night? Dorman's art is very good. It's black and white and the lines and shading are dark and pronounced. The first panel is great in how it incorporates the title of the story into the cityscape. Him and Her are very expressive. We can easily tell when they are thinking dark thoughts, plotting something, or when they are surprised, maybe even pleasantly so. Written: April 27, 2013
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