Severed #3

Written by Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft
Art by Attila Futaki

Scott Snyder has, over the last two years, become a 'big name' comics writer, first receiving accolades for himself on American Vampire, and then taking over DC's Detective Comics and making it the best its been in years.  During the DC Relaunch last month, he had the second best-selling (and one of the most positively-received) titles in the whole line with Batman.  But it's Severed people should really be reading.  It's a shame too, because I'm sure the comic will be lucky to sell one twentieth of Batman #1, despite being vastly superior.

Severed is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jack who has run away from his adoptive mother to try to find his father, a traveling musician, somewhere in Depression-era America.  Currently he's in Chicago, having just missed his father, and is making money to continue his journey by busking.  He is being watched over by Sam, a girl about his age who has disguised her gender for protection on the road.  The pair have caught the attention of a mysterious serial killer, who we know has already cannibalized a boy about their age.

In this issue, the killer approaches them, in the guise of a salesman for RCA Victor.  He attempts to befriend them, inviting them back to his accommodations for beer and duck.  He seems like a good guy to Jack, but Sam is more astute, and knows something is up.

There's a very suspenseful scene involving a bear trap, as the older guy tries to see if he can drive a wedge into their newly-formed friendship.  Snyder and Tuft layer on the suspense once they are in the killer's home, and with each page, I expected something seriously bad to happen.  Futaki's art helps add to this feeling by playing things very straightforward and ordinary - there is no use of shadow and light to try to make things seem scarier than they are, and that's why the book works so well.

I'm very excited to see the next issue.  Much more than I am for Batman #2...