It’s trial-by-fire for Sarah as she learns to use her powers in Flavor Girls #3, written and drawn by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky, and colored by Eros De Santiago with assistance from Locatelli-Kournwsky. Flavor Girls #3 is published by BOOM! Studios. 

    In this final issue of the series, the Flavor Girls try to reclaim a Divine Relic and come face-to-face with a powerful Agarthan that has it out for Naoka. And as if this wasn’t enough to deal with, the girls learn that someone they thought long dead is back with an unknown agenda. 

Flavor Girls #3 shifts the focus to Naoka’s story. The issue opens with what looks like a flashback detailing pivotal moments in Naoka’s life. There’s no text, the storytelling relying entirely on the artistic efforts of Locatelli-Kournwsky and De Santiago. Because of this, it’s hard to interpret what’s going on. We see Naoka fighting Agarthans and training with Master Himiko; presumably, this is when she’s the only Flavor Girl. But what sticks out to me is when Naoka and a woman who appears to be her mother show up at a funeral; another woman in attendance becomes angry and tries to attack Naoka.

With the information we have now, it’s impossible to accurately determine who the funeral was for and why the woman was so upset. But based on the visuals given, I believe she was one of Naoka’s friends. Someone she couldn’t save. It’s a brilliant bit of storytelling on Locatelli-Kournwsky’s part. We don’t need to know who died to see that this failure is part of what makes her so determined to save everyone; why she’s willing to risk her own life so the other Flavor Girls can complete their mission.

When Naoka is with the girls, Locatelli-Kournwsky frames her in a way that emphasizes how she’s set herself apart from them. Unlike V, she’s not maintaining her distance because she’s anti-social but because there’s a target on her back. And she doesn’t want collateral damage. Naoka’s past mistakes, the people she couldn’t save, haunt her.

The way the girls derive their powers from specific fruits/vegetables has been a novel concept from the beginning, and it’s satisfying to see this become more important to the plot. This issue marks the first time we’ve seen the girls use their special moves in a fight. Locatelli-Kournwsky cleverly incorporates the specific fruit/vegetable they represent into their fighting. For example, Camille has “sticky bombs” that look like pomegranate seeds, while Naoka, the dragon fruit, summons an actual dragon. 

Flavor Girls #3 includes the continuation of The House: A Flavor Girls Side Story from the previous issue. And unfortunately, this story hasn’t grown on me with part 2. While I thoroughly enjoyed the art, the plot of this side-story was confusing. As I mentioned in the review of Flavor Girls #2, this was a very loose adaptation of a comedy horror movie called House. And once again, I question the inclusion of this story. The reference feels like an obscure one to make. I wonder if most readers will understand. And I’m still uncertain if it’s part of the main canon or merely bonus content. The House: A Flavor Girls Side Story doesn’t add enough to the issue to justify its inclusion. 

Flavor Girls #3 does a lot right with character and plot growth. It’s a shame the unnecessary bonus story drags down an otherwise spectacular comic. And it’s an even bigger shame that this story is over before reaching a satisfying conclusion.

GRADE: C