Cover artist, Shannon Maer, debuts his comic book series, Sirens Gate, for Dynamite Entertainment! Maer has produced many impressive cover art like Cult of Dracula for Source Point Press and the Comic Mint variant cover of Harley Quinn #1 (2021). Sirens of course refers to the mythical creatures from the epic poem, the Odyssey. It features the classic Maer beautiful woman with white hair, small heart locket, and black jacket, the main character. Behind her is a werewolf creature and a black masked person, both with eyes glowing red! A promise of the supernatural. The comic book is rated Teen+, but the artwork and some content seems suitable for adults. It begins outside of the Cat Club, a soldier in armor is with a woman, Commander Rein, with dark hair in a ponytail and less armor. The painted artwork is beautiful for the comic book. The lettering by Maer is stylized, not the usual word ballons. In a splash page, a woman with a black mask, hood, and dress appears from the mist. The woman commander moves to face the mysterious woman.
She is suddenly choked by the masked woman. The soldier shoots the dangerous woman point blank with his gun. She has her hand extended with a glowing power to throw the commander. Then, the woman sends out a lighting bolt to strike the soldier. The artwork melds the panels together without heavy borders. The soldier checks on Commander Rein, but she is out of it. Then, there is a splash page of the door to the Cat Club. We see a woman in pink dancing while two friends are talking at a table. The woman with white hair, Tara, is featured on the cover. She wears a red tied off shirt. The other is her friend Lexi carrying a drink tray. She wonders why her friend is reading a book in the club. Tara mentions the people staring and Lexi says that she came back from the dead. She explains to Lexi that her heart beat was too slow to be read. Lexi points out a man, Michael, walking towards her. He asks her about reading a horror book and she responds that she likes reading novels by Lady Rose.
He works for Lady Rose and invites her to be interviewed by the writer. Michael hands her the invitation which has a red wax seal of a rose. Tara asks him when is the time for the interview and he responds is is now. A very fast transition to move straight to the meeting with Lady Rose. Tara drives in the night with her red jeep and keeps thinking to herself about this interview that makes her have second thoughts. The gates to the estate opens and she again wonders why Lady Rose has taken an interest in her. Her coming back to life in whatever form, it has to be supernatural, may have something to do with it. In two splash pages, Tara is directed to the upstairs by the butler and we see her about to enter the doors. Lady Rose asks her if she wants a drink and has a glass for herself. In another splash page, very cinematic, she tells Tara that she was told of her interest of being a writer.
Lady Rose tells Tara she just needs guidance, holds her pale locks, and then says she should not hesitate moving in for a closeup in three panels. We see the red jeep leave the gates and Tara is stunned that Lady Rose kissed her. Suddenly, a hairy form is illuminated by the jeep’s light on the road. She swerves and then thinks it was a bear and then checks the front tire. If it is a bear, you really don’t want to get out of the vehicle. Tara hears a tree snap and then starts to run. It is a werewolf towering over her. The werewolf raises its claws, but is struck by Michael! He knocks back the werewolf and punches it. In a double page splash, we have the werewolf raising its claws, the man tells Tara to run, and the full moon is behind them! The romance touches feels a bit like Interview with a Vampire mixed with Twilight. The possible vampire and werewolf conflict is out of the Underworld series. It is an intriguing premise. The masked woman at the beginning could be Lady Rose, in disguise? Who is after them? A touch of Gothic horror and some beautiful art by Maer makes Sirens Gate, a must read for adult comic book readers who like the genre and artwork!
Four Invitations out of Five!
#SirensGate, #ShannonMaer, #CommanderRein, #Tara, #Lexi, #Michael, #LadyRose
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