The Trinity Is Complete In Murder Falcon #3
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The attacks from the Veldar continue, and the band needs to get the third of its trio: their drummer Jimi. Jake, Johann, Murder Falcon, and Halford go out to find Jimi, who lives with her sick father. We also learn more about what broke up the band and the strife that occurred between Jake and Jimi.
Murder Falcon #3 still manages to surprise me with how over-the-top and yet grounded this comic can be.
We already got some glimpses of Jake’s partner getting sick and how this put a hold on his willingness to be a part of the band, but we learn Jimi’s baggage here now. It’s pretty damn tragic; her father is sick and suffering from memory loss. He sometimes doesn’t even recognize his own daughter.
This is tempered by some pretty epic fight sequences with Murder Falcon and Halford fighting a massive beast in the middle of the city as well as some funny one-liners from the Murder Falcon himself.
Murder Falcon really is one of the most interesting and engaging new series to start this year, and I only hope it can continue this trend of balancing ridiculously over-the-top monster fights with some of the most somber and human interludes I’ve seen in a comic this year. Despite drawing on a bygone era of metal music, Murder Falcon manages to feel so very current with its stories of medical debt, financial destitution, and dreams escaping from our grasp.
Writer and artist Daniel Warren Johnson really is onto something special here, and his artwork is just as strong as his writing. The visual design of the Veldar and the band’s musical familiars are very creative. The simple yet distinctive design of Murder Falcon himself is a testament to just how strong an aesthetic this comic has. The color work of Mike Spicer is very strong too; he’s able to balance the dower and over-the-top moments with ease.
Murder Falcon #3 is another damn good ride from this Image Comics series about monsters and human tragedy. The characters are very grounded and relatable, but the fights are legendary and give you an adrenaline shot of pure metal. This one gets another strong recommendation. Give it a read.
Murder Falcon #3 comes to us from writer, artist, and letterer Daniel Warren Johnson, color artist Mike Spicer, cover artist Daniel Warren Johnson with Mike Spicer, and variant cover artist Tyrell Cannon with Jean-Francois Beaulieu.
