Book Review: National Comics: Rose & Thorn #1 (New 52)

Book: National Comics: Rose & Thorn #1 (one-shot) by Tom Taylor with illustrations by Neil Googe and color by Jim Charalampidis

Cover art by Ryan Sook

Rating: 3 stars

Review:

Wow, can't believe it took me this long to get around to reading this (it's been sitting in a box for quite a while). In this one-shot issue, teenager Rose Canton wakes up covered in blood but it wasn't hers and she has no idea whose it is. That's not the only surprise, she found she had a new tattoo on her back with no idea how she got it.

The surprises continued because when she got to school the popular girls were actually talking to her. They go on to tell her about all the crazy things that Rose did last night including making out with some guy named Troy who happened to be one of popular girls' ex. She can't believe any of this happened especially since she's very shy and no where near close to being popular. But as they continue to talk to her she's starting to wonder if maybe the blood had been his especially since he had not shown up to school.

After getting Troy's phone number from one of the girls, there was no time to try to call him since class started. But after yet another incident, Rose left school to try to see if she can find Troy. He wasn't answering his phone and she was starting to worry even more. Because what if she had hurt him. The last thing she wanted to do was end up back at the asylum. Following the death of her father Rose was placed in an asylum and had recently gotten out and had been staying with her Aunt Cate. She did not want to go back which is why I figure she didn't let her aunt know anything about what was going on.

Leaving school, she took a cab to Troy's house but as she checked her phone she found pictures of things she doesn't remember doing and a friend invite from a girl called Thorn who looked a lot like Rose. Now at Troy's house, she walked into the place but soon started to get these sort of visions or memories of what happened last night. Things got even stranger when a guy walked in and she realized he was from her memories as well as Troy's father. He was telling her he would get those names for her and begged her not to show those pictures to anyone. He also asked if she knew where Troy was.

Rose was so weirded out by everything that she immediately took off and headed home. She doesn't know what's going on, is she going crazy? Apparently, her split personality Thorn has taken over because she wanted answers to how her dad died and knew that the meek little Rose would never do what it takes to get those answers. She explained everything in a video message to Rose. Some how Troy's father is connected to his death in someway and Thorn wants answers.

The Troy mystery was solved, she didn't hurt him but it also looks like she's going to go along with Thorn's plan as well.

However, since this is a one-shot and there has been no hint or appearance of a second issue since this was published back in 2012 or talks of a on-going series. This is all the reader gets. It's a solid story but I found it relies on a lot of shock value to "enhance" it which can appear really creepy and down right disturbing at times. Hey, this is the New 52, shock value goes hand in hand with it. Some things just didn't seem right or appropriate but I guess that goes with the story because Rose couldn't believe she had done any of those things and to be shown evidence that she did is truly scary and shocking. I know during the early reboot of the New 52, DC was trying so hard to be edgy and it shows with so many of the earlier books and issues where edgy gimmicks replaced well written stories.

I do wish the cover artist Ryan Sook had drawn the interior artwork because I think the cover art looks amazing while the rest of the artwork wasn't the greatest, it was okay and it also didn't go with the dark tone of the story. I also wish that when Thorn finally made her reveal to Rose via taped message she looked like she does in the mirror above perhaps that's how she would eventually look if this was an on-going series. But what a truly striking difference that would have made if she did look like that for the reveal scene.

As far as New 52 reboots go this wasn't that bad but it also wasn't that good at times and seeing as this is only a one-shot I do wish it had been a self contained story because the ending is left open leaving the reader with no real ending to the story.

But it was a solid read which is why I gave it three stars but it would have been better if the story and the artwork weren't trying so hard to be edgy and provide shock value. However, the story does have some humor but that was mainly from Rose's Aunt Cate who was a rather cool character.