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POSSESSION #4 – Intriguing Comic Book Sex Story
Issue four of Possession is called “Maskmade.” The series gathers a set of interconnecting characters. Though, it centers around Javier and Sheila. And as we’ve become acquainted with the two and their respective past lives, they finally don their superhero identities in this issue. Could the installment’s title be telling us they’re a mask made in heaven?
I don’t know, but evidently something’s trying to tell us they’re as different as night and day. As we read on, the captions throw out the lyrics to “Night and Day” by Frank Sinatra. Sheila is a punk rocker (suspiciously close to the Ramones’ song, “Sheena is Punk Rocker”). And Javier is a straight-laced private eye.
Channeling the Art
This story is about channeling a pair of past lives. Therefore, I found it ironic that the art channeled another couple. What drew me in about Possession was the art. But obviously, the story kept me for the long-haul. The reason why I was attracted to that art, though, was that it reminded me of husband-and-wife team, Comfort and Adam. Known for their indie comic, Rainbow in the Dark (Yes, it is inspired by the Dio song). But I know them for their book, The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics.
The talent responsible for Possession are Enrico Carnevale and Andrea Blanco; Carnevale on art, and Blanco on colors. But their style is so close to Comfort and Adam’s that I had to flip back to the credits page to make sure it wasn’t them.
What’s with All the Sex?
I wasn’t too keen on the sex, though. It wasn’t something that made me blush. And I’m not one you would call prude. But I feel that there needs to be a little more sustenance or build-up before you just have two characters go at it. Unlike when Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor when at it on that ship. Did I miss something? In other words, it was unnecessary and too much.
The way I saw it, the two main characters, Javier and Sheila, were two random people who just happened to run into each other. As the story progressed, we learned more about their destiny as a couple. Though, we’ll get into that later. But upon their first encounter, they go on the run, and do it in the middle of nowhere. This blindsided me, and made me wonder where that came from.
Morningstar and El Cadejo
This issue marks a turning point for Javier and Sheila. They turn from star-crossed lovers to costumed vigilantes. They donned their costumes in the previous issues. But this was the first time they were actually presented fighting crime.
The issue opens by introducing the new identities in stylized font:
Sheila is Morningstar – Probably because she wields a morningstar. “Gifted with heightened abilities by the goddess of love.”
Javier is El Cadejo – decked out in a tunic equipped with the Prince Charming shoulder pad tassels. “Gifted with heightened abilities by the god of war.”
Aphrodite and Ares
I was annoyed by the unprecedented sex between Javier and Sheila in issue one. But then I grew even more annoyed when they started discussing their relationship in this issue. First, when Sheila complains to her friend about Javier, it’s as if they’ve been dating for a while now. Whereas, the four issues felt as if they moved along in a very short time frame. Then, while out beating on thugs, they bicker like an old couple.
But then it donned on me what was really going on. Remember when I mentioned that Sheila was gifted with abilities from the goddess of love, and Javier, the god of war? Among the interconnecting stories between a large cast of characters, there’s also a story of Aphrodite and Ares. This fable is drawn in a different style to differentiate between the two timelines. Hephaestus grows jealous of his wife’s affair. Therefore, he strikes them with a curse.
Pairing this knowledge with the unprecedented sex in issue one makes it a little more precedent. And now that Aphrodite and Ares are “possessing” Sheila and Javier, their relationship has continued within these vessels.
Chaton and Bertrand
Like I said, even though the story mostly revolves around Javier/El Cadejo/Ares and Sheila/Morningstar/Aphrodite, there is a larger cast outside the two. Besides the Greek parable, these stories are happening at the same time in whatever city they live in. Sometimes, this way of storytelling can become too complicated. Much like Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, All My Children , or Teen Mom (Notice the progression of that list). But when they entangle further as we move on instead of the other way around, I welcome this.
One of the stories I’d like to point out is between Chaton and Bertrand. Chaton is a simple character. Yet, she comes equipped with many descriptions: virgin, cat lady, has a stutter, submits cat photos to a magazine, and admins a cat club at the library. It is through this club where she meets Bertrand. Again, here’s another simple character. Though, he unfolds as the story progresses.
Bertrand is seemingly a European/Latino heartthrob way out of Chaton’s league. As he woos her, foreshadowing tells us that there are more to his motives. With each kiss planted on her arm, acidic burns are left. Though, they disappear as if they were hallucinations. When he eventually takes her virginity, he morphs into a demonic beast.
Now that he’s seduced her, and she’s within his thrall, Bertrand’s demeanor takes the abusive turn. He punishes her for the way she treats her cats; where she’s treated them as pets, he feels they should be treated as family. And so, he shows her how it feels to be one of her pets.
As I continued to read, I felt very involved with each story and connected with each character. Yes, I felt lost and irritated with all the sex – especially about Sheila and Javier’s relationship. But once I realized the connection with the Greek God story, I at least felt better about that part. There was almost a satisfaction in connecting the dots. But I still felt like the sex was too much.
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