Written by: Marc Bernardin & Adam Freeman
Art by: Afua Richardson
Publisher: Image
Issue #3 of Genius is probably the weakest of the series so far. Issue #1 did a great job of introducing us to the central plot and characters and issue #2 gave us a ton to think about with its humanizing of the people that Destiny is fighting for. This third issue lacks the heart of the first issues but what it lacks there it makes up in the dropping of events that hint towards potential future plot points.
Issue #2 left off with internal anger turned towards Destiny after the death of some crew members. #3 picks up right where it left off after an amazing opening showcasing some of Destiny’s unfortunate childhood and what hardened her. Immediately after we get a resolution to the conflict #2 ended with and we begin to see just how far Destiny is willing to go as well as how much thought she’s put into her overall scheme.
Izzy proves she’ll go through anything to guarantee a story and it’s nice to see that Destiny may have received a powerful ally for the outside. However, I can’t help but shake the feeling that Izzy may solely be looking for ratings and I think that that’s a great thing for the story to introduce as it fits within the narrative so well. Genius is essentially about a community policing and fighting for itself so outsiders are instantly jarring in terms of if they can be trustworthy or not. I’m always remarkably happy to see another strong female character like Izzy present within this series.
Reginald Grey also has an important breakthrough within this issue that I think perfectly illustrates how Bernardin and Freeman are writing this story remarkably well. Now that the word is out regarding Destiny, we can see the various reactions of law enforcement and the sort of gray area that Grey is stuck in. There’s embarrassment that a “little girl” is beating police but Grey has a much more personal reason for taking the information to heart. I can’t wait to see how this ends up playing out, especially as Destiny and Grey have yet to meet. Bernardin and Freeman have definitely shown that they have fleshed out Destiny’s back story in big ways and the information we get in this issue is sure to play out in a huge way. The end of the issue also hints towards some internal power plays that may end up becoming a problem later on. There’s really a lot to work with here.
Afua Richardson’s art style is still going to be a love it or hate it thing but I personally love it. It’s very reminiscent of graffiti art and the backgrounds are full of tongue-in-cheek references to real brands. I am, however, beginning to notice a definite divide between certain artistic choices between Destiny and the gangs and the police force. While Destiny and the gangs tend to be drawn with colorful outlines and plenty of color, police and people in power are almost entirely down in shades of gray, black, and blue. And a large number of the police forced are lacking the thick outlines. It creates a nice visual divide between the two factions.
This was ultimately the weakest issue thus far but it’s by no means bad. Instead it turns its attention towards setting up plot points that should ultimately impact the series in some remarkable ways. This has been a series more than worth checking out and this issue is all part of the compelling narrative that Genius has been giving us.
