This issue cannot be discussed without revealing some major plot points, so the SPOILER Warning is in effect.
Jennifer Blood dismembers the corpse of her formerly living husband at the start of the issue. The last issue had them getting into a fight and in a fit of passion, she kills him. Throughout the grisly act, we see flashbacks to when she met Andrew and how she flirted with him and how they got together. We also see how she manipulated the guy into marrying her. After she finishes cutting up his body, she goes about getting rid of some of the evidence. The issue ends with Detective Ellen Pruitt confronting Jennifer at the front door.
The comic book does deserve some credit in how it approaches the subject. Jennifer had her revenge against her uncles, now she must deal with the consequences of those actions. The second story arc were professional consequences. These last 5 issues were personal ones within her family. The way it handles these outcomes is refreshing and often unseen in comic books of this type. The Punisher does not spare time or energy worrying about how his actions might affect those around him. He is just into the violent revenge and that is all. Jennifer takes the time to explore the darker aspects of the genre and does not shy away from it.
What does not work is the overall tone of the issue. The comic book wants the readers to sympathize with Jennifer. We see her crying in some panels, showing remorse in others, and displaying an overall dour outlook through the rest. Unlike her other crimes, Jennifer is remorseful for killing Andrew. But, this does not excuse her crime and the attempt to cover it up. But we are supposed to feel sorry for Jennifer. Her world is crumbling around her. Maybe if it were some outside force, then yes, she could get some sympathy. But, she is doing this to herself. She could have handled it in some other way, like taking the kids to Grandma’s after knocking out Andrew and faking her death afterwards. She did not have to kill him.
Final Thought: Negative.
The comic book tries really hard to get the reader to sympathize with Jennifer in the last 5 issues. In her mind, she is trying to keep her family together. She kills a friend of her husband’s because he might cheat on her. She killed her husband because he might expose her secret to the world. Unfortunately, the character does not deserve that sympathy anymore. She made the bed she is lying in herself and deserves whatever punishment she gets later on. That is probably what will keep me reading the series from now on. Eventually, she will get some karmic retribution and I’m looking forward to it.
About Joseph Furguson
This child of the 80s does not look upon it as some gold age where everything is better. He is well aware that the filter of time causes the best stuff to rise to the top. Every era has terrible and awesome things, but most are downright mediocre. He loves to highlight the forgotten good and the deserving bad items of all generations.
- Web |
- More Posts (148)
