Hecate’s Will #3 – Comic Book Review

In Issue #3 of ‘Hecate’s Will’, writer/artist Iolanda Zanfardino gives viewers a deeper glimpse into the psyche of Rebecca, the protagonist, also known as Hecate. The comic starts off with conflict, revealing the kind of policing black citizens face, but thankfully, due to the timely intervention of friends and bystanders, things don’t escalate.

Iolanda smoothly switches the mood, and we are transported to a music concert, where Naomi sings like a rock star and Rebecca is completely smitten. So the focus is largely on the duo’s thawing relationship, Naomi isn’t just a crush anymore, but levels up to becoming a muse. Hecate’s next artwork is inspired by her mesmerizing performance.

Quick recap – Hecate is a street artist who plans on giving up art, but not before doing a final ambitiously cryptic graffiti series. She is also working on making costumes for her best-friend Matteo’s play, so the comics sheds light on her equations with those taking part in it.

Also Read: Hecate’s Will #1 Review – Intriguing Tale of Art Vs Artist

Readers by now must have adjusted to the peachy tones of the comic panels, and unlike issue #2 where there was some variation due to snow-filled scenes, issue #3 is largely in warm shades of peach-pink-purple-violet.

While romance is the dominant theme this time around, the writer continues to explore the issue of body dysphoria through the character Adam. He is a young singer who’s not very confident in his own skin and Iolanda does a brilliant job of capturing his trauma through her art. Adam may not be ready to show his scars to the world, but music helps him heal. And that’s another theme the writer explores well – art’s power to be therapeutic.

Rebecca’s interactions with Adam brings out her empathetic side and help readers understand her personality a little more. I was hoping to see a little more of her family-flashbacks, but there aren’t any in this issue. Instead, Rebecca and Naomi have an interesting heart-to-heart conversation and the issue ends with a sweet cliffhanger. Looking forward to issue #4!

It’s a 4/5 from me.