“Exquisite Corpses” Comic Book Issue 3 – Review

From writers Pornsak Pichetshote and James Tynion IV with art by Valentine De Landro and Michael Walsh, Exquisite Corpses issue 3 was one of the most disturbing chapters I’ve read in a while. I want more ASAP!

TRIGGER WARNING: This review of Exquisite Corpses Issue 3 mentions domestic violence and infanticide. Tread carefully.

Due to the premise of Exquisite Corpses welcoming violence and gore, I wondered how far the creative team was willing to go. The third issue in the current season answered my curiosity. At this point, nothing is off limits to push how deranged the players can get. Nurse Pete proved to be surprisingly menacing, amped by the fact that his MO felt very grounded in reality.

Issue 3 continued to feature scenes between the various family members as we got to see their reactions to how the tournament unfolded. The previous issue revealed that there’s a lot of money to be made by placing bets other than on the odds of who will come out victorious at the end. The bets could be about who got the most civilian kills, caused the most destruction, got killed by a non-player, and the list goes on. Nurse Pete’s “owner” was very happy with his performance (which I’ll get to in a bit), even though she knew her family wasn’t going to win the entire thing.

We received some backstory involving Lady Carolina and an inevitable showdown between her and the Fox Mask Killer. I’m all for laying the groundwork for interpersonal drama and character development that will unfold down the line, but frankly, as of writing this review, I don’t know enough about Lady Carolina and the Fox Mask Killer to feel invested in their upcoming battle. So, hopefully, that changes soon.

As for Pretty Boy and Mike, the two talked about how the “government” was involved in what was currently happening in Oak Valley. I don’t know what Pretty Boy’s planning as he plays along with Mike. From my understanding, he wants to see the perimeter of the arena. But why? I highly doubt he wants to escape the game, having killed a player already. He also should be smart enough to realize that the perimeter was bound to be heavily guarded. Hmmm.

In contrast to my feelings for Lady Carolina, I actually want Mike to remain safe, or at least go out while accomplishing something heroic. He’s tagging along with Pretty Boy, and danger seems to have found them already.

Our queer young Xavi was shown running around town trying to find his boyfriend Craig. He ended up finding a dog. So, said dog might prove useful. I’m okay with the young queer couple being sidelined for the moment. There are a bunch of characters the narrative needs to develop. Xavi and Craig can wait to get more screentime, because it’s obvious they will be sticking around for a lot longer than certain other characters.

Coming back to Nurse Pete, the third issue was all about him, Ian, and Laura. With Nurse Pete separating from Ian and Laura after reaching the local hospital, we got a bunch of panels fleshing out Ian and Laura. The two had been working together as EMTs for a very long time. However, Ian brought up how Laura should be aiming higher in her professional life. As for the personal aspects, I liked the question Ian asked Laura about who she was. His question even made me think for a moment. Yes, the go-to answer would be to say your name and profession. But the question required a deeper look than that.

In Ian’s case, he was always going to be the kid who couldn’t protect his mother from an abusive husband. That particular experience molded his adulthood. In a way, Ian became an EMT to help others and hopefully “make up” for what he couldn’t do in his childhood. We didn’t get Laura’s answer in this chapter. But I think we will be getting it soon.

Ian continued his mission to save others by stepping up (while gravely injured) to kill Nurse Pete and ensure Laura survived the horrific ordeal. Yay to Ian for being a hero until his last breath.

As for what Nurse Pete had been up to until his confrontation with Ian and Laura, well, that dude wreaked havoc throughout the hospital. From the unsuspecting staff to the patients recovering in their beds, Nurse Pete got to most (if not all) of them. The most disturbing moment was a page of him standing menacingly in a nursery surrounded by newborns, with only one baby crying out. The creative team didn’t have to show it all happen, but you know what had transpired. Like I said, with such a moment having taken place only three issues in, I can only imagine what’s in store for readers as the story continues.

What did you think of Exquisite Corpses Issue 3?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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