Book of the Week: ‘The Cape’ #3

The Cape #3
Writer: Jason Ciaramella (inspired by the short story The Cape by Joe Hill)
Artist: Zach Howard
Colorist: Nelson Daniel
Publisher: IDW

He doesn’t have claws or fangs. He doesn’t turn into a bat, nor does he have scales. It is doubtful that his disheveled appearance would frighten you. In fact, if you passed him on the street, you probably wouldn’t turn your head to give him a second glance. But make no mistake, Eric, the character whose disturbing life is chronicled in the mini-series The Cape, is undoubtedly a monster.

The story so far has been a simple one. Down on his luck loser Eric has found his childhood cape and learned it grants him the power of flight. Thinking the world is conspiring against him, Eric uses his newfound powers to kill his ex-girlfriend and the detectives who are close to capturing him. After revealing himself to his family, and putting his brother Nick in the hospital after setting his face on fire in the previous issue, Eric is ready to finish the job.

In this issue, Eric’s mother is traveling home by plane from Boston while Nick recuperates. As the flight begins its ascent, Eric flies straight for it with a chainsaw. And I’ll assume you can imagine what happens next. As the plane is going down, Eric’s mother stares out the window to see her callous son staring down at his destruction.

The Cape is simple, straightforward storytelling which relies on the nature of the plot and the awful actions of its protagonist to reel in its readers. The dialogue is sparse but it reads well, there’s nothing clunky on inauthentic here. This is just a fun story about what would happen if the absolute wrong guy had the gift of flight.

Artist Zach Howard’s artwork has been spectacular on this series and he has outdone himself with this issue. There is a gorgeous double-page spread (used as a wraparound variant cover) which has Eric in the foreground flying high above Boston with a rumbling chainsaw as the plane heads toward him. The scene of impending doom is frightening—there’s nothing the pilots will be able to do to escape the fate Eric has designed for them. The entire sequence which follows, culminating with the fiery destruction of the Leonard B. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge is magnificent. The colors and finishing utilized by Nelson Daniel are equally stunning. Daniel uses dotted texturing reminiscent of newsprint coloring throughout to wonderful effect.

The story is fleshed out with a couple of flashbacks. The first features Eric, Nick and their mother on a picnic and the second is a scene with Eric and Nick jumping off of a bridge to go swimming. Both illustrate how much Eric’s family cared for and loved him, which illustrates even more how truly horrifying his acts are. Often in horror comics and film, many of the characters who are murdered are two-dimensional sad sacks who have it coming.

In the end, Eric prepares for a last stand between he and Nick as we close in on the last issue of the mini-series. The Cape is wickedly good fun with exceptional artwork and, at its heart, a terrifying monster.

Grade: A