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Dr. Zerc continues to push Loo to unlock whatever power he believes she may hold. However, what Loo excels in may be more than some superpower. As Dr. Zerc starts to lose his cool and things seem to be getting out of hand, secrets are revealed and more of Loo’s memories rise to the surface. Paranoid Gardens continues to push the limits of where the mind can take you!
- Story by Gerard Way & Shaun Simon
- Art by Chris Weston
- Colors by Dave Stewart
- Letters by Nate Piekos & Blambot
The Madness That is Paranoid Gardens
Paranoid Gardens just gets crazier! The chaos of the Paradise Gardens care center can seem so out of this world and yet the madness seems contained and well driven. This was my first foray into this series and by the end of the book I had a grasp on this world and the basics of the story.
What happened in issue #3?!
I found it fascinating that all of these characters that were uncomfortable to look at had such grounded, relatable dialogue and characteristics. This is a great reference to human social tendencies as we see some as being less or in some cases more, when in reality we are all very much the same in our mental and emotional processes.
Bringing Chaos to Order in Paranoid Gardens
There’s an intriguing backstory for not only Loo but other characters as well that is slowly making it’s way to the surface. To have quite a few threads being pulled at once, one never seems to overshadow another while still holding focus on the importance of Loo. Each arc is a piece to a much bigger puzzle and it’s fun to see them come together.
That can make it sound long this a slow, methodical drive but in fact the pacing of the story is perfect. It never drags on too long, nor does it zip through important details. Everything is laid out for the reader to get exactly what they need while still pushing the desire to move onto the next panel.
The Art and the Id of Paranoid Gardens
Chris Weston’s artwork in this book is what draws the readers attention to devices that go beyond the dialogue. He does such a great job of bringing the extraordinary into the mundane without losing the focus of the story. I had to stop a few times and take in what I was truly seeing. Grotesque and abstract images create a feeling of everything being “off” and yet everything else feels “normal”. It’s like pulling the curtain back on the inner workings of the brain trying to make sense of the nonsensical. That’s a beautiful display of psychology and art coming together.
Colors by the talented Dave Stewart take this world of enigmas and breath a “real world” feeling into the art. What already seems alien or horrific takes on a new level of gross or supernatural. It serves to further the statement that Way and Simon are trying to convey. Once we get a glimpse into the actually real world in Loo’s memory we flash back to black and white with a highlight of red. It’s executed flawlessly and draws that line between real and fantasy…or does it?
Everything Points to 9.1
Paranoid Gardens is really making it a point to explore the subconscious as it works to process some sort of trauma. The madness that can come with that is the battle at the forefront of this story. This issue ramps up the paranoia and fear as Dr. Zerc seems to be done playing games and gets straight to the point. It seems like each character is fighting for emotional survival in this world and the uneasiness of that is ramped up by the artwork. This is a journey that may seem kooky on the surface, but deep below many wheels are turning with precision.
