Nerds That Geek Comic Book Review – ‘Scratcher: Part Three’

Written by Joel T. Lewis

​Writer John Ward and Artist Juan Romera serve up another much-needed dose of refreshing Horror with Scratcher: Part Three. This issue sees the triumphant return of Tattoo artist (Scratcher) Dee Williams in pursuit of another of her clients. This time it’s Lucy Ciba, a college sorority girl out of Austin, Texas whose tainted tattoo compels her to run amok inside her sorority house. With the unexpected help of Father Jerry Jones, Dee discovers that the inky terror she’s accidentally unleashed might not be as easily dealt with as she first thought.
 
For a genre that is constantly re-framing and re-examining what we are afraid of in society horror is almost by definition self-referential. As you track the evolution of these stories through film, comics, and even video games you can spot homages and variations on familiar themes as creators play with audience expectations by subverting and leaning on the influences of those that came before, with the best of these escapes being termed ‘derivative’ or ‘rehash’ by using their knowledge of the genre and the audience’s familiarity with its images and themes to mislead and surprise that audience. John Ward has done just that with Part Three.
 
Beautifully paced, weaving a meaningful subplot via flashbacks, Part Three effortlessly dances between gore and psychological terror reminding me again of Evil Dead but this time with a dash of Land of the Dead thrown in. Dee continues to be a rich and complex character whose self-examination aids and balances her narrative arc and she’s not bad with a machete either. Ward’s clever subversion of expectations with how one should handle the monstrous tattoos he’s imagined is skillfully executed and really a satisfying play on the tropes of infection and possession in horror.
 
Romera’s artwork continues to be compelling, dynamic, and sinister, balancing the intimate accuracy of his character’s facial expressions and the eerie stillness he accomplishes in the moments before machete meets flesh. It’s not just that Romera’s faces are expressive, it’s that he captures the subtle nuances of escalating horror and dread as an insidious inky skull looms over Dee’s hospital bed and crafts a sorority house massacre as blood soaked and gory as can be hoped for. With his mastery of shadow and texture Romera is able to convey the crescendo-ed terror of a face to face confrontation, but also the voiceless horror of dramatic irony as he shows us what is silently inching toward our heroine.
 
This is a talented duo at the helm of a horror comic that is consistently refreshing. Ward and Romera are creative talents to watch and treasure and I can’t wait for the next issue! Until Next Time, Geek On!
 
Special thanks goes out to John Ward for providing Nerds That Geek with a review copy of Scratcher: Part 3 and you can find your copy and the rest of the Scratcher series at Comix Central.

---