Amy tries to explain her thoughts about the force that has been killing men to Clayton. Are the two of them ready to try to track it down? Find out in The Ribbon Queen #6 from AWA Studios!

THE RIBBON QUEEN #6

Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Jacen Burrows
Colorist: Dan Brown
Publisher: AWA Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 27, 2023

Previously in The Ribbon Queen: Amy Sun dreams of the past, a past where two young women, Ciara and Orla, watch in horror as barbarians attack their village, killing the men and assaulting the women. The two of them decide to make a run for it. They split up, Orla continuing through the hills, and Ciara running into the cursed woods where the brambles tear into her skin. She returns to the barbarians, a mass of shredded flesh, but now she can cut the barbarians into ribbons. But she realizes she cannot save all the women who could use her help.

UNSPEAKABLE REALITIES

Amy has been home for several days as The Ribbon Queen #6 opens, but Clayton stops by to talk to her. He wants to understand what is happening. Amy tells him of when she was younger and narrowly avoided a sexual assault. She talks about the young man’s conflicted reactions when he realized what almost happened and reveals her own feelings of wanting to hurt him. The being that has been shredding men is like that primal reaction brought to life. Her dream makes her think it is trying to defend women.

But Clayton makes the point that it did not step in until Bella and Nadja were already dead. Perhaps it is avenging them. But if no one knows about it, it does not have any broader deterrent. Is it really helping anyone? Amy tells Clayton about her dreams. It sounds like something out of a horror story, but Clayton saw the dead Bella walk out of the Municipal Building. He wants to know what their next move is in finding it.

Amy did not realize both of them were in this, and she thinks of the men she has seen die. I suspect she is worried that this primal force may kill indiscriminately. But Clayton honestly wants to help. He does not want to toe the official line, ignore it, and hope it goes away. He wants to be a friend and an ally.

Amy recalls her prior conflicts. She was suspended during a time of protests against the police. Others on the force turned against her for not breaking her suspension and going out there with them, especially a woman named Maggie. Amy remarks that she has seen a couple of their people amongst the protesters starting all the incidents they can. Tempers get higher, and Amy makes a comment about the Black and Tans, at which point Maggie throws a punch, Amy ducks, and Maggie’s fist hits the wall hard.

The problem Amy is getting to is that her shooting incident may have been covered up, but it is still out there. Her fellow officers are not going to fall over themselves in solidarity with her. And if she finds more men who have been abusing women, and they end up killed, that does not help anyone.

For a touch of normalcy, Amy goes for dinner with her aunt, uncle, and cousin Sarah. She and Sarah used to be close, but they soon get into an argument. Sarah sees Amy, the cop, as an enemy. Amy sees the safe protests that Sarah engages in as not doing anything to help the underlying systemic problems. Amy steps outside for some air and talks with her aunt Joan. They talk about how Sarah has changed, and Joan says maybe Amy is asking too much. In order to change things, there is usually a price. What price is Amy willing to pay?

DIFFICULT DECISIONS

The Ribbon Queen #6 is full of emotional nuance and the art does a masterful job of capturing this. Amy has been through a lot in her life. Every choice she has made comes with consequences, some good and some bad. She has made and lost friends. She has made enemies. Being a police detective has not made her life any easier. She walks a fine line between trying to do what she believes is the right thing, following the rules, and being able to work with her fellow police. She desperately needs the few positive connections she has in life to help stay grounded.

I like the way Clayton is portrayed. He lets Amy have her say, and then asks her more questions. He challenges her not by talking over her or acting as though he knows more about primal forces than she does, but again by asking her questions rooted to reality. It was a deft touch to have him experience seeing Bella so that he is someone who is open to Amy’s experiences and can actually be the sort of sounding board she needs. And it is because he is like this that Amy fears for his risk of being caught up in an attack.

BOTTOM LINE: ONE STEP CLOSER TO DARKNESS

The Ribbon Queen #6 uses horror as a vehicle to explore police corruption, making it a powerful read which can feel uncomfortable. There is a lot of depth here which makes it continue to be a fascinating read.

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