We review the eighth issue in Tom King and Elsa Charretier's thrillingly twisty romance saga.
The first Love Everlasting trade paperback presented a nightmare trip through our favorite romance sub-genres. Tom King and Elsa Charretier left their protagonist, Joan Peterson, tumbling through various couplings, each climaxing when a mysterious Cowboy arrived to blow her brains out. We expected the narrative to continue similarly when the series picked back up with the sixth issue. Nope. Joan Peterson found romantic bliss with handsome bore Don and no shootist arrived to relieve her.
Who or what was propelling Joan through these scenarios? Why did they suddenly stop? Love Everlasting #7 picks at these scabs but doesn't yank them off. Joan remains chained to her perfect marriage, and the longer it persists, the more imprisoned she feels. She aches for her former horror to save her, and in that yearning, those loved ones around her discover profound concern.
King and Charretier introduced a thrilling scenario riddled with questions and possibilities. Then, during the second half, they begin the squeeze. What was somewhat scary but incredibly compelling has transformed into pure dread. A certain reality seeps into Love Everlasting #7, and without spoiling too much, it's possibly a situation reflecting a deep-seated personal phobia. Issue seven leaves Joan in a precarious spot, and her worries transfer to her readers. As a romance novelist addict herself, she would probably relate tremendously to the sensation.
As Joan's inner life crumbles, Charretier finds newfound freedom to play. Love Everlasting #7's paneling is deliciously expressionistic and primarily responsible for the narrative's building confusion and paranoia. Reading through the book quickly, racing to grab hold of some understanding, I found myself requiring breath. There were moments when Love Everlasting #7 jammed my biology, and I had to remind my body to function. Afterward, with one pass of the comic completed, I told my brain to go back for another round and catch whatever I might have missed in my rush to the conclusion.
Matt Hollingsworth's colors follow Charretier's stride, popping bright outbursts to match Joan's panic and slopping into muted muck as her troubles strangle her. Together the artist duo delivers a book that bops along with retro cool while never letting the emotional content fall victim to nostalgia. Love Everlasting has an eye on the past, but not a speck of dust rests on its pages. It's too hip to ignore.
Quickie Review: Love Everlasting evolves its trippy narrative as Tom King and Elsa Charretier drag Joan Peterson into a "traditional marriage" hellscape. The art is undeniable, as is its propulsive plot. The wait between issues continues to be agonizing, but each chapter proves the value of such anguish. Scour the shelves of your comic shop; you won't find another book like it. It's an absolute must for your pull box.
Love Everlasting #7
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Elsa Charretier
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Designer: Emma Price
Editor: Marla Eizik
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale: 5/3/23
Synopsis: “TOO HIP FOR LOVE,” Part Two The acclaimed horror/romance series continues. After the game-changing twist in the last issue, Joan wakes up in a world she does not and cannot understand. Every rule has been broken, and she must fight her way out of this new trap of love or face her greatest fear—her wedding night!