The Pull List – Crimson Flower #1
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Matt Kindt
Art: Matt Lesniewski
Colorist: Bill Crabtree
After losing her family in a murderous home invasion, a woman copes with her situation through folk tales. Many years later, an opportunity presents itself for the woman to avenge their deaths. Now the woman builds her own cautionary tale as she hunts down the person responsible, unraveling a mysterious conspiracy of murder and power.
The story follows an unnamed woman that has a troubled past, who works as a pharmaceutical rep and seems to be going about her daily routine. But one this particular day, she finds the right lead that connects to her past. Armed with her wits and the lessons from the folklore, she follows a trail to find answers about her family’s death.
Crimson Flowers is a colorful revenge story filtered through rustic folklores. Matt Kindt mixes modern themes with classic lore, quickly telling a suspenseful action story with limited details. The main character is unnamed and narrates her story like a folktale itself. Kindt examines a tormented character that finds herself alone and uncertain about her course of action but her desire for vengeance out weights the risk.
The visuals by Matt Lesniewski and Bill Crabtree adds a boost to the abstract elements in Kindt’s writing. Lesniewski’s ornate style plays with size and scale, changing the visual rhythm every few panels. Characters appear to have inhuman proportions, extremely thick veins, and hair that twist in all directions at once. Crabtree uses a soft color palette, mimicking the tones of children’s books. However, there are no cheery moments and colorwork nicely accents a traumatic flashback sequence. It’s chaotic and messy but organized to convent the story’s emotional depths.
Crimson Flowers has a unique fantasy premise with sharp artistic flair. It’s a good comic for readers that enjoyed more dramatic elements with their action stories, focusing on a slow tension than rampage filled violence. The introductory issue skims just the surface of the story, setting up just enough details to show where the plot is heading. The follow-up issue should hopefully dive further down to grab hold the reader’s attention.