Monster hunting is a dangerous occupation. It’s worse when your only living arraignments are with a friend you’ve haven’t seen in years and their kid. That’s what happens in Magdalene Visaggio’s comic “Calamity Kate†with art by Corin Howell and it’s underwhelming.
Kate Strand moves to Los Angeles (and live with an old friend and her daughter) in order to become a superhero called Calamity Kate and fight the monster problem plaguing that area.
That’s pretty much the entire plot. Not to mention she wants to challenge the local legend hero Javelin. What’s really there to say: a basic plot that obviously turns into a big contest between an upstart and the local to prove who’s the greatest. It’s an OK plot for a comic that can be great if this rivalry is done correctly.
The only real redeeming quality of this story is Kate. She’s that one friend who says they’ll stay with you and promise to take care of the house but eventually overstays their welcome by trashing the place. That’s the second story going on here: living with her old friend and her daughter. What can a single mother do with someone whose entire career is killing monsters? To make matters worse, Kate brings home the monster corpses to turn them into trophies. The friend having to explain to the little girl why Kate can touch these corpses and she can’t is the perfect representation of living with an old friend you’re only using as a means to an end.
Howell’s artwork is the only thing that’s above average. The character designs look nice despite some weird facial expressions, the monster designs look great, the backgrounds stand out and Valentina Pinto’s colors just accentuate the positive aspects. The shading is spot on and the color choices for the backgrounds is perfect.
While “Calamity Kate’s†story is OK, the artwork is where the comic shines. The only real reason to continue this series is that Kate is such an eccentric character that you want to see how she’ll handle dealing with Javelin and her friend potentially kicking her out.
Rocco Sansone is a “man of many interests.†These include anime/manga, video games, tabletop RPGs, YA literature, 19th century literature, the New York Rangers, and history. Among the things and places he would like to see before he dies are Japan, half of Europe, and the New York Rangers win another Stanley Cup.
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