“Vicious”
Writer/Artist: Martin Eden
Publisher: Ominous Comics
£1.50 from:
11a Gatestone Road, Upper Norwood, London SE19 3AT UK
Or:
The Omen website
And so Martin Eden does Kill Bill, as The O Men's resident sexy hardcase Miss Scarlet goes on a murderous rampage, singlehandedly dealing with the villainous Vicious Circle. I have to admit to being a bit uneasy about the way this is handled, as we've been told many times in recent issues about how powerful and indestructible the Vicious Circle are, and to have them so easily despatched seems odd. But then again, it is Miss Scarlet who's doing the despatching, and there's more to her than meets the eye, it seems.
And that's the core of this issue, as Eden gives us some answers about the comic's most compelling character. Of course, since it's The O Men, the answers we get are half-formed and nebulous, and even though we now know a bit more about Miss Scarlet, enigmas and mysteries remain. It's a wonderful feeling to be reading the penultimate issue of a comic and to know that even at such a late stage, nothing is predictable, and that anything could happen. Eden has refused to be conventional in his storytelling, and it makes for a truly thrilling read that puts the "professional" output of Marvel and DC and the others to shame.
This issue's art is some of Eden's best, too. The cover is wonderful; an image of Miss Scarlet that is sexy without being exploitative, again showing Eden's maturity as a creator. Inside, the pages are full of imaginative sequences and atmospheric panels, and Eden's visual characterisation is, as always, superb. Miss Scarlet may be sexy, and deadly too, but she's also insecure and vulnerable, and all of that comes through wonderfully in the art. My two favourite images from the issue are the one on the second page, as Scarlet mimics the "I'm double hard and I'm going to rip your tits off" look Sigourney Weaver gave the Alien Queen in Aliens when the eggpod opened, and the large half page panel that depicts an uncertain Scarlet confessing her fears and insecurities to her teammate. Eden's art has often been the weak link in this title, but he's never failed at conveying emotion and character, and this issue is an amazing example of that strength, as well as a very good show in all other ways too.
All in all, this is another excellent issue of one of the best superhero comics I've ever read. And I'm including the big companies in that too. This is absolutely superb stuff, and it's a crime to let yourself miss out.
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