Review – Crowded #10 (Image Comics)

The Calm Before the Storm in Crowded #10

Keeping Charlie alive has proven easier said than done. But thankfully, Vita is as talented as she is determined. The Reapr campaign on Charlie’s life continues in Crowded #10, and there’s a storm brewing on the horizon. But will they notice before it hits?

Crowded has been a whirlwind of a series, with our two leading characters getting thrown from one challenge to the next. All while desperately trying to keep Charlie out of the hands of those that would happily turn in her life for a considerable sum of cash.

Crowded #10 brings with it an alarming sense of calm. Alarming because we all know it isn’t going to last. Charlie and Vita aren’t foolish enough to waste it, at any rate. And yet, there is so much happening that only the fans are aware of.

Writing

Crowded #10 features some of the most creative storytelling I’ve seen in a long time. Split into two perspectives; we’re given a complete chance to see what is going on in this complicated world. On one side, we see how Charlie and Vita handle their rare moment of peace.

And on the other hand, we get to learn about the threat to their survival. This perspective was beautifully written, showing off creative storytelling and character development—all while having a heavy feeling of foreboding. This feeling builds throughout the issue.

The entire issue is oddly deceptive. It’s so easy to look at it and think that this issue was a break in all of the tension that’s been going on. But it’s so much more than that. They’re building up to something huge here. And it’s all going to explode sooner rather than later.

I can’t give enough credit to Christopher Sebela for his writing on this issue. It’s brilliant and elegant, showing off finesse and careful writing. And I’ll confess that I’m actually pretty anxious to see how it all pans out.

Art

Crowded #10 was full of surprising moments and elements. And thus, the artwork had to be up to that challenge. The creative storytelling style wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful if not for the artwork that supported it.

Likewise, the subtext was brought further into the foreground, thanks to the character expressions and reactions. It was all perfectly done. Ro Stein and Ted Brandt provided the line art for this issue. Katie O’Meara and Holley McKend did the color flatting for Crowded #10, while Triona Farrell did the coloring. And Cardinal Rae provided their lettering into the mix, rounding out the whole piece.

Also, the cover for this issue made me laugh a lot more than I expected. Well done, Ro, Ted, and Triona, for that one. I can’t stop looking at Charlie and Vita’s expressions.

Conclusion

Crowded #10 was a bit of a diversion from the main plot. And yet it built up so much, proving that there are many more fans need to learn in this series. It also went a long way in pushing forward character development, all while building the tension. It’ll be interesting to see what the next issue has in store, given everything happening.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.