Share this
Hyde Street #3:
“There is a street, just around the corner, both familiar and unknown. A Street branching off every small-town square and cutting through every big city avenue. It is a place where the wicked and cruel are drawn, to the crossroads of morality and madness, with the inevitable destination of not merely death…but something far worse. It is a place we call…HYDE STREET.” Ghost Machine
Geoff Johns (WRITER) Ivan Reis (WRITER and COVER) Danny Miki (INKER and COVER) Brad Anderson (COLORIST and COVER) Rob Leigh (LETTERS)
*POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD*
The Story:
Geoff kicks this tale off inviting us into a warm and wholesome tale of Christmas magic. Of course, it’s Hyde Street so really there is no magic and Geoff and Ivan quickly remind us of this.
One thing this issue shines brightly in is that not every damned soul on this street is as evil and nasty as Pranky. They remind us that Mr. X-Ray had a life once and he spends his days damning souls wondering what happened to his daughter. This brings about moral dilemmas and add character depth to these ghouls which makes for an intriguing tale.
While Pranky is quite a character, he shows once more the distinction between right and wrong. As he takes Mr. X-Ray on an educational tour, we get to look into his character and realize that this child creature enjoys what he does in a sadistic manner. This story is beginning to take us in an interesting direction.
The Art:
Brad and Danny invite us into a bright and colorful issue taking us back to that feeling of Christmas. What they do extraordinarily well in this particular issue is manage to make the feeling and vibe merry, bright, and demonic. I’m particularly enjoying the various ways they manage to change Pranky’s image from a cute and innocent child to a monster. It’s the blackening of his eyes or the sudden change of looks whether he is an elf or worse.
Rob swoops in with his lettering adding in the effects that ground us into this horrifying tale of naughty and nice. Brad’s colors make this Christmas horror joyfully pop all the more.
Final Thoughts:
Hyde Street #3 is a cautious tale of a Santa gone rogue but, moreso how our upbringing can leave us with choices of how we choose to live eternally. The team introduces moral conundrums and even brings in a frightening character leaving us with the thought of redemption that we did not know was possible on this demonic street. Mr. X-Ray and Pranky are being built up to square off in an upcoming battle and one I cannot wait to see unfold.
OVERALL GRADE: 9/10
For more from Matt, including links to his weekly podcast discussing comics, movies, and TV shows follow http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews