Nov 23

Nov 23 Domino #8 // Review

What started as a way to make some easy money becomes increasingly complicated for Domino and her friends. The only thing worse than finding out the “treasure” you’ve been sent to find out is a person? Finding out that person is Morbius, the living vampire. Domino issue 8 is written by Gail Simone, with art by David Baldeón, colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles.

Domino is being paid to deliver a box unopened, but after realizing that the box contains a “living” being, she can’t bring herself to keep someone living in a cage. Ultimately, this risk pays off thanks to her luck, because Morbius is able to give her information on what the true vampires and their King are planning.

Gail Simone creates a well-rounded story by adding humor to break up serious moments. Domino and Morbius have the majority of the serious moments, but Topaz and Outlaw are there to provide moments of humor and levity. The focus of this issue is on action and moving the plot forward, so there is not as much of a focus on character development as last issue. However, this is not a huge problem, since, at this point in the series, the background of the main characters is well established, as are their personalities.

The story journeys across many different locations, including a hotel room, a train, a crowded nude beach, and under the ocean. David Baldeón handles this exceptionally, making each background look distinct and drawing the characters in different outfits for each location they’re in. The combination of these two things helps keep the background visually appealing.

While the color scheme changes slightly based on the different backgrounds, Jesus Aburtov favors a cool-toned color palette based on blues and purples. This is contrasted well by the strong reds and blacks used for Morbius’ clothing and the scenes focusing on him.

This story felt almost like a bridge between two arcs. Most of the plot points were tied up by the end, but enough of an opening was left for a new arc to begin. The creative team behind Domino has improved their work with each issue, and, if this continues, the next arc of the story should be even better than this.