Before I begin, I would like to give a quick shout-out to Gryphon Comics, without whom I may never have known about this excellent comic.
So, if you don’t know what ‘Shutter’ is, where have you been? Why isn’t your local comic book store recommending it to you?
Well, I bet it’s because you haven’t heard of it. I mean, in comparison to Marvel and DC, a lot of amazing Image comics tend to fly under the radar (even ‘Saga’ and ‘Chew’, two of their bigger titles). But I don’t see that ‘Shutter’ should. After all, it was only after one issue that the comic book store owner pulled me aside and said “read this!”
While I didn’t have his initial enthusiasm, I could see that the story was interesting, the art quirky and fascinating, and the plot was going to keep me on my toes. Yes, it felt uneven in the flashback compared to the present, and kind of continued to be that way even until this issue, but I still really like.
I ‘Saga’ like it, and that’s saying quite a bit.
If your sort of sick of the typical comics, of super heroes and zombies, then this really is the story for you.
‘Shutter’ focuses on Kate Kristopher, a daughter of a famous adventurer (think ‘Venture Bros’, only with less incompetence), and her life after her father has died. Mostly, she’s retired, and is uninterested in returning to the field, even if her current life also bores her. That is, until some goons try to kidnap her in the first issue. Queue four issues of hijinks and secrets about her father having other children which leads us to this issue, where Kate finally gets to talk with her mysterious little brother.
Something about his age irks her, indicating that something happened eight and half years ago that she doesn’t approve of, and I’m not entirely sure it’s the hanky-panky that resulted in Chris, or the fact that I’m pretty sure her dad died eight and half years ago. A fun theory that’s going around is that the boy is actually his “father” reincarnated.
This issue briefly shows Kate’s softer side. Instead of the hard-as-nails adventurer who’s used to get herself out of tight spots, you know, like getting kidnapped, she is gentle with her little brother. I say briefly, though, because it’s immediately after her heart-to-heart that she decides the two need to book it, and the issue ends with them running away before “The General”, her old nanny, notices.
By far the best issue, and so zany I can’t even begin to guess where it’s going next. I suppose that’s why I like it so much.
SHUTTER #5
Written by Joe Keatinge
Art by Leila del Duca
