Advance Review – Soma’s Colors Shine Brightly In ‘Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose’ #5
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
This series’ illustrator and colorist are working in near-perfect harmony, beautifully complimenting each other. If only the story itself were stronger, this series would be a must-have for your pull list.
Overall
8/10Like letterers, comic book colorists are often overlooked by readers (and reviewers) unless they make a questionable creative decision that knocks their audience out of the narrative. Adding insult to injury, these colorful creators are often ignored in lieu of the illustrator – who, in turn, are sometimes ignored in favor of the writer.
Then there is Taki Soma, who is currently coloring Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose. Soma’s simple but effective color treatments add so much to every page, setting the tone as well as gently guiding the readers’ eyes to the right focal point in each panel. And in a series where the writing has largely been just OK, the thought she puts into her colors helps to elevate each issue, while elevating Michael Avon Oeming’s illustrations.
In this installment, Soma gives sections of the story colors – green, orange, blue and purple – as a primary background. Only shades of those colors appear, aside from some blacks, whites and shading. It’s a highly stylized look that works well with the illustrations. Main character Jagger Rose often appears in a…well rose color, which draws the eye right toward her. As the mafia’s newest don, she now commands attention, and Soma demonstrates it here.
Oeming’s reliance on splash pages and double-page spreads gives Soma’s colors even more prominence. Several such spreads involve a flashback in which Oeming draws other dons larger than life against a city backdrop, allowing Soma to give them a rare rainbow of colors.
Despite the eye candy, the issue’s story, written by Brian Michael Bendis, is the low point. Spoilers prevent describing much of the action, but for the penultimate issue in this arc, it’s an odd time to make revelations that could be wrapped up in the next month.
In other words, the Murder Inc. franchise is likely to continue this current iteration. If Bendis can sharpen the story, the combination of illustrator and colorist would make the series a must read every month.
Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose #5 will be available for purchase on September 13, 2023.
