Malcolm Murray: hunter, scholar, warrior, terrible father…

Penny Dreadful the Comic #3

Story: Krysty Wilson-Cairns; Andrew Hinderaker; Chris King

Writer: Andrew Hinderaker

Artist: Louie De Martinis

Editor: Lizzie Kaye

Letterer: Rob Steen

Designer: Andrew Leung

Creator: John Logan

Variant Covers: Guillem March; Shane Pierce

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Penny Dreadful #3 takes place almost entirely in Africa and we see the events surrounding Peter Murray’s death. More importantly this issue gives us some true insight into Malcolm Murray and the why of him. This is a man who has done a great deal of harm, to himself and to his family, all in the name of fame. When we meet him in the beginning of the series he’s a man hardened by the horrors he’s seen and who is fully aware of the things that go bump in the night. His children aren’t real to him any longer, not truly: Peter is dead because of him; Mina just an idea at that point and Vanessa a means to an end. The only person he seems to have true affection for is Sembene and this issue shows the beginning of that relationship and how even that friendship is hard won.

Once again Andrew Hinderaker has a deft handle on the characters, filling in the blanks of their lives before the series while never losing sight of who they were when the series started. Unfortunately, once again, the artwork doesn’t hold up. It’s boring, without clear focus on backgrounds or characters. Had it not been explicitly stated that the characters were in Africa there would be no way of telling whatsoever. As this series goes on I can only hope that Shane Pierce or Guillem March will take over full time in the artwork department so that it will finally rise up to the quality of the writing.

3 out of 5 Apparitions