- Written by: Jason Loo
- Art by: Rafael Loureiro
- Colors by: Java Tartaglia
- Letters by: VC’s Ariana Maher
- Cover art by: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 27, 2024
Dazzler #3, by Marvel Comics on 11/27/24, finds Alison and Lila playing hooky in Tokyo to blow off some steam, but their R&R activities catch the attention of Arcade.
Is Dazzler #3 Good?
Whoo, Boy! Here’s a tip for aspiring comic creators out there. If you want to show off and elevate your main character, keep the continuity between issues straight and prevent your main character from making idiotic decisions. Those two points won’t guarantee success, but you’ll be well ahead of whatever writer Jason Loo was thinking with Dazzler #3.
When last we left the mutant songstress in Dazzler #2, Alison Blaire’s appearance on a London-based talk show turned into a catastrophe. A stagehand with mind control powers was blackmailed into forcing Dazzler to spiral out of control on live television. Dazzler and her friends eventually diffused the situation, but the damage to the mutant reputation was done. The issue concluded with Lila Cheney teleporting in, out of the blue, to give Dazzler a lift to her next gig.
In Dazzler #3, Alison Blaire and her crew assess the damage created during her UK television appearance. We see through a montage of social media posts how even her staunchest fans have begun to turn against her after so many fans were injured when her powers spun out of control. Aboard their spaceship/our bus, dubbed the Forever Ship, Wind Dancer confirms the dropping ticket sales and city cancellations spell trouble for the rest of the tour.
“Wait! What? When did a bunch of Dazzler’s fans get hurt?” you might correctly wonder. That’s a good question to which there is no obvious answer. Dazzler’s outburst happened on a closed set with no audience present beyond the film crew (I checked), and it’s very likely the cameras stopped streaming when her powers destroyed half the set. So, where did all this harm and damage happen that upset all her fans? Oy!
Wind Dancer advises Dazzler to stay aboard the ship to decompress and give everyone time to let the drama blow over, hoping some fancy PR work can salvage the rest of the tour. Instead, Lila drags Dazzler through a portal to visit her Dyson Sphere base for a restful getaway, or so she tells Wind Dancer. However, Lila drops in the middle of one of the most monitored and trafficked cities on the planet, Tokyo, for a girls’ night out. Dazzler is almost immediately spotted by Arcade, who decides to try his hand at collecting the bounty from a mysterious benefactor.
Why? Why is Lila so dumb? Why is Dazzler so dumb? When you have a mysterious mastermind using bounty hunters and blackmail to destroy you at every stop, would you purposefully put yourself in the middle of a city with cameras on every street corner? If anything, Jason Loo’s attempt to make Dazzler look good makes her look like a childish idiot.
Arcade launches an attack of Fembots from out of nowhere against Dazzler and Lila as they take a fund go-cart ride through the city streets. The thrill ride turns into a life-sized version of Mario Kart, complete with gigantic, spiked blocks that fall from the sky and whimsical obstacles that appear from nowhere.
The issue ends with Dazzler’s crew arriving in the nick of time but not fast enough to prevent the bad PR from pissing off the Japanese government. To ease the sting, Lila invites Dazzler to perform with her at an impromptu concert in Madripoor.
What’s great about Dazzler #3?
It’s the art. If you’re looking for a bright spot in this ill-conceived comic, it’s the art. Rafael Loureiro and Java Tartaglia give readers a cool spaceship, energetic action, and decent facial acting from the lead character.
What’s not great about Dazzler #3?
Nobody likes a dumb protagonist who goes from a bad situation to a worse situation as a result of her foolish choices. Why is Lila trying to make things worse for Dazzler? Why didn’t Dazzler say, “No, take me back right now so we can figure out who’s after me?” No further explanation is required.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Dazzler #3 takes a considerable step back from issue #2 when Dazzler and Lila take an ill-advised field trip to the worst city in the world if you’re trying to go unnoticed. Jason Loo lost the plot (literally) with an issue that’s inconsistent with the previous issue and depicts Dazzler making one bad choice after another. If nothing else, the art is very good.
4/10
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