Scorn is one of those titles that makes a comeback with an identity direction. That’s an impressive challenge considering this “bad girl” shares her name with two Marvel and DC characters. Plus compared to Bad Girl icons like Lady Death, Witchblade, or Bomb Queen she’s pretty tame. But that’s the appeal of Kalee, she’s the closest thing to a good girl in a bad world. In her newest series, readers experience a fun character in some satirical fashion. With the first issue out on February 15, 2023 at comic stores.
Where Did Scorn Come From?
Scorn first appeared in the mid-1990s following the trends of the era. From bad girls, guns, and black-and-white indies, this franchise carves itself a nice niche. But according to the creator Chris Crosby it hasn’t aged that well. Why? I honestly can’t tell you because I haven’t read any of the three comics by its publisher. SCC only has this and Anubis to its name.
Anyway, it did have plenty of fans for someone in Hollywood to want to make a movie out of it. That is until Development Hell got in its way; so it goes. Besides Crosby had more on their plate with co-founding Keenspot and the webcomic Superosity.
But then inspiration kicked in around the 2020s with the movie musical The Prom. Never heard of that? It’s essentially about a girl getting banned from her prom for being gay. Plus with Crosby coming out as non-binary around this time, that definitely plays a part. Especially since the first artist they hired for Scorn refused to draw a lesbian.
“Bad” Means Normalized
But now let’s get to the review!
Whether it’s old or new readers, Scorn’s first issue gives readers everything they need. Despite how serious things start out, the title character keeps everyone entertained. Even with her life threatened, she casually mocks anyone trying to hurt her. In juxtaposition, she’s more uncomfortable at not knowing what grilled cheese is. This makes Kalee feel like somebody who is still getting her bearings and having a good time doing it. This former princess comes across as somebody you’d have a good time with in spite of the danger.
All while her villains are the stuffed shirts that people would love to hate. If Kalee’s ex-kingdom wasn’t bad enough to want to kill her for being gay, her dad gives a sick-to-stomach feeling. His method to try and “fix” Kalee’s “defect” isn’t anything extreme like invasive brain surgery. But I’m confident everybody would think it deserves a kick in the crotch.
Dialogue of the Old Ones
I gotta take a minute to praise the dialogue. While it can get quirky, it never feels like the oversaturated Whedonspeak. Even pages with a lot of text don’t throw the pacing off with how it makes characters sound distinct. Kalee sounds like a confident smart aleck until she lets her guard down. Then there’s her Uncle Henok who wants to kill Kalee. He’s professional yet condescending especially with how he tries to rile Kalee up. Readers get a real sense of their dynamic, waiting in anticipation for their clash.
Scorn The Pin-Ups
Thonny B.B.’s art is some impressive work, looking like some of the best comics from the 2000s. There’s a straightforward sense of action with expressive transitions between the panels. It’s especially the case for changes in very similar panels like how Kalee flips Henok the bird as he takes aim with a sniper rifle. In juxtaposition, the blank space around Henok on the next page shows his intense focus as he’s about to make a dramatic decision. Only for a full but empty feeling panel by Kalee’s father to break it in one fell swoop. It lets readers feel the Uncle’s disappointment that nothing came out of it.
Love For Scorn
Right now Scorn feels like a great way to introduce readers to a fun character and plot. There’s a lot of passion and care going into it, especially in presenting how a “bad girl” is pretty normal. The kind of normal you can have a good time with anyway. For now this series gets 8.5/10.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.