Review – Wicked Things
Review – Wicked Things
Writer: John Allison
Illustrator: Max Sarin
Colours: Whitney Cogar
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Introduction
The Eisner Award winning team of John Allison and Max Sarin return to the world of Giant Days for a new series about everyone’s favourite child detective; Charlotte Grote.
Nineteen-year-old Charlotte Grote has her whole life ahead of her; headed straight to Oxford and a future as a real detective-until she’s framed for murder!
Given the choice between going to jail basically forever or joining the police, Lottie decides to hit the beat, all while trying to find the real murderer. Lottie may have been running rings about the police since her 9th birthday, but she’s never been on this side of the security tape.
Could the future of law enforcement be 5’2′ with an extremely strong bangs game? Yes. Very yes.
As an old man I think bangs are what Americans call a fringe.. I always think it sounds a bit rude!!
Writing
Lottie Grote has just been nominated for “Teen Detective of the Year (16-18)” when she is framed for the attempted murder of Kendo Miyamoto. Surrounded by cops that hate her, weird roommates and crimes that need solving her beverage skills are put to the test (as well as her deductive!) The story works on so many levels and there is just enough mystery, humour and plot to keep you reading. This is a coming of age story with Lottie experiencing some of the frustrations many 16-year-olds feel when they enter a job – undervalued and overlooked for skills and knowledge.
It took me just 65 minutes to read through the 163 paged Wicked Things Collected edition. I wasn’t lucky enough to read this last year when it was published as individual issues but it was worth the wait. Allison is an amazing storyteller this book is a chimaera of everything good about reading comics! Part Nancy Drew, a pinch of Sherlock, a layer of Tracey Beaker and a cherry of Spongebob on top!
Speaking to Boom Comics in 2020 Allison said:
“WICKED THINGS is a tale I’ve been waiting years to tell—the story of what happens when a precocious teen detective ages out of their division overnight. Lottie Grote is the crown jewel of my little comics universe, and I don’t think she could be in safer artistic hands than Max Sarin, whose work gets better every month. I’m delighted the GIANT DAYS team is back together so soon.”
Artwork and Colours
Sarin and Cogar work as an amazing double act her taking Allison’s words and created a fully rendered dimensional world within each panel that you keep going back to due to the amazing details you miss on a skim read. The visual jokes are fast, think and keep coming so if you don’t appreciate one another will be along in the next panel!
The book has been compared unfairly to it’s parent book Giant Days as well to the mystery film Knives Out in other reviews and I think this book is different enough that you don’t put it down. Sarin’s style is warm, friendly and a little bonkers. This would look great as an animated show and I for one will be rereading this quite a few times.
Overall Thoughts
This book was a delight from cover to cover with lots of little surprises sprinkled generously within! Like any good book it pushes you to think, makes you laugh out loud and bond with the characters. The book is flawless, if you buy on book today add this to your shopping cart or subscription and you can thank me later!
If you enjoyed our Review of Wicked Things then leave a comment or rating below.
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