Nerds That Geek Comic Book Review - 'Scratcher: Part Two'

Written by Joel T. Lewis

There have been a lot of Horror Comics. There have been a lot of independently published Horror Comics. But there hasn’t been a comic quite like Scratcher before. John Ward and Juan Romera deliver a story that manages to be unique, familiar, and fascinating all at once. Scratcher is what you’d get if you took Evil Dead, swapped Ash out for a badass, lesbian tattoo artist of color with a strong sense of pride, responsibility, and enough demons on the inside to match the ones she faces on the outside. The premise of Scratcher is exceptional in its simplicity; a tattoo artist tracks down her old clients that have become possessed by the tattoos she gave them. What a unique delivery system for mayhem!

And this is the critical element with Horror: innovation. How many zombie, vampire, possession, or slasher premises have we seen recycled and rebranded over the last 15 years across all mediums? What keeps us jumping in fright and fascinated by fear is surprise, and when a creator is able to breathe new life into a genre with something as surprising as demon tattoos that’s exciting! That’s what Scratcher brings to the table; it’s wildly refreshing.

Now I would like to say at this time that this is a Spoiler Free review of Part 2, but I will not refrain from spoiling elements from Part 1, so if you haven’t read the first issue (and you really should!) please do so before continuing. We catch up with Dee Wilson as she arrives in Los Angeles to track down Jerry Jones, one of her 3 remaining clients. She finds Jerry preaching in a derelict church to an usual audience of garbage. After having her offer of assistance violently rejected by the deteriorating priest, Dee teams up with a mysterious molecular virologist who has a theory that the people Dee tattooed are suffering from a nano-virus introduced into their systems by the tattoo ink. This unlikely duo proceeds to track Jerry down in order to obtain a tissue sample from him and stop him from committing further acts of horrific violence.

The Scratcher comics are brisk and you get your money’s worth. Reading over the issues I was impressed by the amount of ground Ward was able to cover in only 28 pages. Where I could easily see DC or Marvel milking the narrative beats of this issue out over 2 or 3 months, throwing multiple last panel cliffhangers, I found myself pleasantly surprised that each issue of Scratcher gave me more actual story than I anticipated. This issue was action-packed and the twist Ward leaves you with really opens up the world he’s created.

Juan Romera’s artwork leaps off the page, almost a combination of Francesco Francavilla and Jeff Lemire’s work but with an exceptional eye for shadow and facial expression. The comic is gorgeous and the way Romera directs the eye from panel to panel, page to page, is incredible, subtle, and compelling. The cover art for this issue in particular is spectacular. It’s juxtaposition of the cherry blossom tattoos with the gore dripping from the closed fist and the imagery of the crucifix is very evocative. I was also impressed with Romera’s rendition of the iconic Griffith Observatory. The detail, shading, and shadow work is really quite breathtaking, especially with such a unique and recognizable landmark. This is a series to add to the pull list dear readers. It’s brilliantly executed, refreshing, and layered and I cannot wait for Part 3! Until next time, Geek On!
 
Look out for Scratcher: Part 2 on Comixology in April!
 
Special Thanks goes out to John Ward for providing Nerds That Geek with an Advanced Copy of Scratcher: Part 2!

---