Review: No Place Like Home #2

The winds are beginning to blow in the second issue of Angelo Tirotto’s debut, No Place Like Home. Our heroine, Dee, has returned to her hometown, the modest village of Emeraldsville, due to the death of her parents. Here, she encounters an unusual cast of characters, including her pierced and punked-out best friend, Lizzie. There’s even a crazy drunk; what’s not to love? However, Dee is not the only one who has returned to Emeraldsville; a mysterious entity has also made an appearance, to severe consequences. Read on for the skinny…

Issue #2 opens with the eccentric drunkard, Frank, being taken into custody for a crime that he insists he did not commit. Apparently, this is not the first of this series of crimes, and it is uncovered that a strange, possibly otherworldly being is causing the ghastly deaths. Soon, Dee and Liz uncover a gruesome secret (or two) that will take them one step closer to revealing the truth.

In my review of the first issue of No Place Like Home, I mentioned (in a large paragraph) the similarities between Lizzie and me. Now, I’m starting to notice a few subtle differences in personality; however, in this issue, I noticed that we actually have some of the same clothes. I feel like I’m looking at a caricature of myself in every issue, and I have a feeling that the similarities are only going to multiply. But, I’ll put my narcissism aside for now.

The complex story is really starts to come together in this issue, and the art is moving swimmingly along with it. Richard Jordan continues to wow me with his fantastic line work, The faces in this issue are especially fantastic. Dee’s face is stunningly drawn; she truly is a classic beauty with her large, round eyes and square jaw. Paul Little continues to use a more neutral colors, even the brighter tones are slightly dulled. The brightest color is the shade of red used for the blood, which definitely adds action to the gory scenes, and makes you think of Dorothy’s bright red shoes. And, of course, the rest of the book is chock-full of references from The Wizard of Oz, among other works.

The last section of the book, entitled “Lizzie’s Letters,” hasn’t had any actual letters yet. If you want to send some fan-mail to Lizzie, e-mail Lizzie@noonemournsthewicked.com, although Angelo’s entries are entertaining, as well. It always ends the comic on a light note to help me recover from the jaw-dropping cliffhangers. Image is releasing the next issue of No Place Like Home on April 18th – can’t wait!