Loma Shade is finally figuring out how to be a human being. But will she give up on her quest to get back home to Meta? Your Major Spoilers review of Shade The Changing Girl #4 awaits!
SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL #4
Writer: Cecil Castellucci
Artist: Marley Zarcone
Inker: Ande Parks
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Editor: Jamie S. Rich and Molly Mahan
Publisher: DC Comics/Young Animal
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Shade The Changing Girl: An alien from another dimension, a world called Meta, Loma Shade has made her way to Earth with Rac Shade’s M-Vest. Inhabiting the body of a young woman named Megan, she has pretty much failed to not look like an alien, even getting in a fist-fight with a girl who was once a friend…
COMING TO GRIPS
As this issue opens,Shade is cruising the multiverse thanks to the M-Vest, while everyone around her wonders what’s been going on with “Megan.” Her parents are very concerned about her newly aggressive tendencies, while her friend River is watching her through a telescope, witnessing the strange rituals that she is going through. Shade also assesses Megan’s memories, once again underlining what a terrible person she was, torturing her teammates on the swim team. Back on Meta, the authorities are closing in on her friends, seeking out the missing M-Vest, while Megan/Loma goes on an apology tour, after watching what seems to be an episode of ‘I Love Lucy.’
TRAPPED BETWEEN DIMENSIONS
The art in this issue is lovely, with a wonderful, muted color palette that makes it feel somehow more realistic. (Given that we’re dealing with the story of a blue avian from inner space possessing a human body, that’s harder than it might seem.) The backup story, featuring Element Girl’s attempts to create a family for herself, is likewise perfectly human and utterly alien at once, another lovely touch in the book. Castellucci’s story is fascinating, and even though the pacing is somewhat deliberate, it doesn’t feel slow or forced. The best part about this book (and, indeed, all the Young Animal titles) is that moment after the book where you have to go over what you’ve read, let it wash over you as an experience before you go back and reread it with a critical eye.
THE BOTTOM LINE: WEIRD BUT JOYOUSLY SO
Shade The Changing Girl #4 is a little hard to describe, but it’s a wonderful read, with energetic art and a lot of incidence packed into the pages, earning a more-than-impressive 4 out of 5 stars overall. If you’ve never read this book, I recommend grabbing all four issues, sitting down and just experiencing it. If nothing else, you’ll kill a few minutes with an engaging bit of story, reminiscent of classic Vertigo comics of days past.
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