Harvest #3 Review

The half way stage in this exciting mini-series, Harvest #3 changes the dynamics of the title, moving into a more traditional ‘revenge’ thriller, but is this for the best?

First up, the official description from Image:

Set up for murder, Dr. Benjamin Dane finds himself wanted by a black market surgical squad and the FBI, with only an outcast Yakuza assassin to protect him, none of which will stop him from getting to his next patient. Plus the freaky kid is back.

The first two issues set up this premise perfectly well enough, but I was still enjoying the darker side to the illegal organs trade. This issue finds Ben, the supposed protagonist of the series, going against his former employers after trying to save his last patient. This is perfectly fine storytelling, although it is a pity they brushed over Ben’s attempts to save the patient. Considering the conclusion of the last issue, there was a lot of room to grow the character as he attempts to save the patient. Its something the current issue seems to be using to separate the hero from his former associates, so its a shame its only shown through a recording and dialogue, as opposed to an actual scene or flashback.

That said, the rest of the issue certainly captures the atmosphere and mood of Harvest. Its gritty and dark; quite dark, actually, since the artwork does its best to capture this through constant use of shadows and nighttime settings. Still, the plot advancements aren’t as original as the opening premise. Ben wants revenge, but he also has the police after him. Its nothing new, but it makes for an interesting read none the less.

A lot of this issue also refers back to what was shown in the first issue as a flash forward. Things start to come full circle slightly, which certainly makes the last two chapters exciting.

With the addition of the “freaky kid” who, lets face it, was obvious right from the start, still providing a little colour and humor into the title, Harvest #3 still has a lot going for it.