Pirate Eye: Mark of the Black Widowby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Smitty is a pirate turned private eye. He uses all the same skills with a similar outcome, only now it's all legal (or at least mostly legal). In this first issue, he takes a case for the Governor, looking into a prostitute marked as a killer. What he turns up in the process gets him an even bigger pay-out ... in a manner of speaking.I love the whole concept of a "pirate eye." It's quite clever and makes for a fun and exciting read. Plus, it gives all the aspects of a good pirate story with a twist you won't find in any other pirate tale. Smitty is an intriguing character. While I have some curiosities about his past, his current line of work keeps my focus. I like how he isn't afraid to dig deeper; the outcome this time benefitted more than just himself (and made more than one person suffer, though they certainly deserved what they got). There's not swashbuckling sword or gun fights, but there's plenty of atmosphere, setting, and interactions to let us know exactly what kind of pirate port town this is. There's excitement and a bit of danger, but not the type you'd expect. The twist at the very end is especially good; it makes me wonder about things in the story, and makes me appreciate that while Smitty got excess information, he didn't get it all. There's an interesting discrepancy about the mark -- the informant mentions the mark is on her left thigh, but on the cover it's drawn on the lower part of her right leg (making it the correct area, just the wrong leg). All we know for certain is that it's on her left leg. After reading the very end of the issue, I also wonder if either of her stories about getting the mark were completely true. It seems like more of an "oops," but it could be that the informant was just wrong since he was going on rumor. The art is the perfect amount of dark and shady with good, strong character designs. Everything fits the setting of the story, and the art provides the depth that fleshes the story out. I like that the story has some back and forth between dialogue and Smitty's narration. We get to see the inner workings of Smitty's thoughts while also seeing how he actually interacts to get what he wants and needs. It's nicely done! I am an instant fan and would love to read more of Smitty's shady investigations. Written: August 14, 2013
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