‘Pearl #10’ (review)

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Michael Gaydos
Published by DC Comics

The work by Brian Michael Bendis over at DC has been rather hit or miss.

This title especially has been rather hard for me to get into. Mostly because, it feels like things don’t move forward. Last issue though was a step in the right direction. So, how does this issue fare?

Well, not bad. This issue picks right up where we left off last issue with Pearl waking up and walking the streets of Tokyo. She goes about her business and then meets Rick for a meal. They talk for a bit. It’s not so bad.

Then, a story thread takes us back to three weeks prior.

That’s when I lost a little bit of interest to be honest.

When Bendis flashes back in this series, it bores me to tears. And that is what happens here. He gives us an interesting present and then flashes back to give what we are reading some context. By that point, it seems unnecessary and that as a reader I find indulgent.

The flashback does have a bit of violence in it. The good part of it is that’s the art is beautiful in this part. You have to hand it to Gaydos. He makes the hard to read flashback visually interesting and keeps you awake.

By time we get back to the present, the issue is just about over. And it’s a shame. There is so much more that this book can explore besides this. It just doesn’t. Maybe by focusing on the here and now, this book would be stronger. Last month certainly proved that. Let’s have a bit more of that. I think it would benefit the book greatly in the end.

RATNG: B-