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Shutter #7-12
Shutter, Vol. 2: Way of the World
RELEASED THE SAME DAY AS THE NEW STORY ARC! Kate Kristopher crosses the Earth to unlock a family mystery taking her far beyond her own reality. Collects SHUTTER #7-12.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
August 27, 2015
Well that went downhill quick. I was super excited to get Shutter Vol. 2 just a couple days after finishing the first volume and feeling like it might be my new favourite comic (this is why I'm averse to superlatives, really).
The art of Leila Del Duca and colouring by Owen Gieni is still phenomenal, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2. But within a couple issues of this volume, I was really wishing it were scripted by someone else. It gets real confusing and messy really quick. And worse, the protagonist loses the impact of her fiery, rebellious personality because it has no pause. She holds her breath barely long enough for various villainous family members to utter some tedious exposition, and then launches back into her nonstop temper tantrum, screaming, swearing, and swinging in every direction with no meaning, thought, or dramatic effect.
I love the character designs and the world they're building, and I think it's unfair that so many reviewers are apparently calling Shutter derivative of the success of Saga. Shutter pays direct homage to so many classic comics that its most defining characteristic within the adventurer genre is its anachronism. In fact, I'm really curious how many readers under the age of 30 even know the source material which Shutter carefully emulates.
Hopefully Keatinge gets his shit together and starts writing more coherent, intelligent dialogue, or I'm going to do something I've never done before: just look at the pictures on every page and let that tell me the story imaginatively without reading the word boxes.
The art of Leila Del Duca and colouring by Owen Gieni is still phenomenal, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 2. But within a couple issues of this volume, I was really wishing it were scripted by someone else. It gets real confusing and messy really quick. And worse, the protagonist loses the impact of her fiery, rebellious personality because it has no pause. She holds her breath barely long enough for various villainous family members to utter some tedious exposition, and then launches back into her nonstop temper tantrum, screaming, swearing, and swinging in every direction with no meaning, thought, or dramatic effect.
I love the character designs and the world they're building, and I think it's unfair that so many reviewers are apparently calling Shutter derivative of the success of Saga. Shutter pays direct homage to so many classic comics that its most defining characteristic within the adventurer genre is its anachronism. In fact, I'm really curious how many readers under the age of 30 even know the source material which Shutter carefully emulates.
Hopefully Keatinge gets his shit together and starts writing more coherent, intelligent dialogue, or I'm going to do something I've never done before: just look at the pictures on every page and let that tell me the story imaginatively without reading the word boxes.
April 17, 2018
Just too wacky for me. I was so confused during #9. Story was ok but found it was just all over the place.
December 11, 2015
The more of Shutter one reads, the more the book strays from its original narrative premise. The comic book isn't even about self-discovery in a world of others anymore; rather, it's a conflagration of conflicts wrought by silly egoists with an untenable lust for control of the one game piece they have over-rationalized as the key: Kate Kristopher.
Kate is dragged to and fro -- bombed, shot, stabbed, and/or kidnapped in every issue -- with little inkling as to why. Her frail and moderately functional twentysomething life disappears in a flash, and all that remains are distant relatives claiming an inheritance she herself doesn't care to own. Kate's family wants her dead because she was spoiled. They also want her dead because she's the key to learning, from their long disappeared parents, why she was the spoiled one. Kate couldn't care less . . . all she wants is meet her next deadline.
SHUTTER: WAY OF THE WORLD doesn't do much in the way of telling an actual story anymore. It's unfortunate, because the globetrotting, the monster action, and the vainglorious speeches about human consequence would, in just about any other context, actually mean something.
All that happens in this volume are: 1) instances of Kate being taken advantage of by others; 2) Kate swearing, vowing her innocence; 3) further violence against Kate; and 4) Kate's verbal rebuke. It would be nice if this gave readers a resolution of consequence to identify (e.g., What is Kate specifically fighting against and why?), but that's not the case. Instead, the book conjures more and more meteoric disruptors, which instead of bringing clarity to an increasingly wayward tale, merely string things along (e.g., Kate's never-heard-of sister, Kalliyan, is narrow-mindedly focused on reconnecting with another character readers have little investment in, Kate's mother).
The evolution of this book from a hypnotic fantasy adventure into a hyper-real net of the bizarre (e.g., filthy dreamscape giants, murderous Winsor McCay clowns), the illogical (e.g., characters reappearing after not dying some five issues ago), and the abstrusely cabalistic (e.g., red-robed cultists) is odd, though not unprecedented. The book would be fun if it weren't borderline nonsense.
Shutter has beautiful art, and every third character is intellectually inspiring, but it behooves to reason how and why it all gets mangled and mashed together in an incomprehensible sci-fi epic with no end in sight.
Perhaps this is the comic's largest detriment: it just keeps snowballing. In WAY OF THE WORLD, resolution isn't deferred, it's completely removed from the puzzle. Instead of allowing characters to negotiate their will in the face of conflict or uncertainty, the creative team instead pushes these characters into even worse scenarios than before, ultimately compounding (not layering) the conflict. Not all conflicts are obviously or acutely irresolvable; and yet, when such conflicts worsened through a lack of narrative sensibility (or crumbling narrative architecture), the likelihood of a conscionable conclusion ever coming into play precipitously dwindles. And when that happens, the story is no longer enjoyable . . . Because why read a book that has neither the interest nor the capacity to maintain the intellectual or emotional dynamics it initially put forth?
Kate is dragged to and fro -- bombed, shot, stabbed, and/or kidnapped in every issue -- with little inkling as to why. Her frail and moderately functional twentysomething life disappears in a flash, and all that remains are distant relatives claiming an inheritance she herself doesn't care to own. Kate's family wants her dead because she was spoiled. They also want her dead because she's the key to learning, from their long disappeared parents, why she was the spoiled one. Kate couldn't care less . . . all she wants is meet her next deadline.
SHUTTER: WAY OF THE WORLD doesn't do much in the way of telling an actual story anymore. It's unfortunate, because the globetrotting, the monster action, and the vainglorious speeches about human consequence would, in just about any other context, actually mean something.
All that happens in this volume are: 1) instances of Kate being taken advantage of by others; 2) Kate swearing, vowing her innocence; 3) further violence against Kate; and 4) Kate's verbal rebuke. It would be nice if this gave readers a resolution of consequence to identify (e.g., What is Kate specifically fighting against and why?), but that's not the case. Instead, the book conjures more and more meteoric disruptors, which instead of bringing clarity to an increasingly wayward tale, merely string things along (e.g., Kate's never-heard-of sister, Kalliyan, is narrow-mindedly focused on reconnecting with another character readers have little investment in, Kate's mother).
The evolution of this book from a hypnotic fantasy adventure into a hyper-real net of the bizarre (e.g., filthy dreamscape giants, murderous Winsor McCay clowns), the illogical (e.g., characters reappearing after not dying some five issues ago), and the abstrusely cabalistic (e.g., red-robed cultists) is odd, though not unprecedented. The book would be fun if it weren't borderline nonsense.
Shutter has beautiful art, and every third character is intellectually inspiring, but it behooves to reason how and why it all gets mangled and mashed together in an incomprehensible sci-fi epic with no end in sight.
Perhaps this is the comic's largest detriment: it just keeps snowballing. In WAY OF THE WORLD, resolution isn't deferred, it's completely removed from the puzzle. Instead of allowing characters to negotiate their will in the face of conflict or uncertainty, the creative team instead pushes these characters into even worse scenarios than before, ultimately compounding (not layering) the conflict. Not all conflicts are obviously or acutely irresolvable; and yet, when such conflicts worsened through a lack of narrative sensibility (or crumbling narrative architecture), the likelihood of a conscionable conclusion ever coming into play precipitously dwindles. And when that happens, the story is no longer enjoyable . . . Because why read a book that has neither the interest nor the capacity to maintain the intellectual or emotional dynamics it initially put forth?
May 4, 2016
Ehhh.
So the thing is...I liked the story in Volume 1, or at least where I thought the story was going to go.
I felt the first one set the stage for plot and characters to be built and I thought this volume is where the building would happen but it didn't.
There was some pandering going on and if I remember, I'll show you a picture but right now, I'm on my tablet and the mobile app sucks and this is as good as it gets for the time being. But anyway, pandering.
A bad thing happens to poor alarm cat which paves the way for evil AI who should eventually have that moment where he has to choose to be an uncaring robot or a kind, humane being.
Kate is static. We were told in the first volume that she's always been a wild card, that she follows no rules but her own, that she's something of a badass but we know she has set that all aside to become a basic girl. But then she's thrown into adventure and none of that badassery really comes out, she's a 2D action and adventure female lead. There's not a lot to her, not a lot to hold onto, not a lot to care about or hate or anything. She's a placeholder and she's boring.
The rest of the characters are all stock, as well. Nothing new, nothing interesting.
Unfortunately for me, the story, which had been what hooked me in the last book, is beginning to unravel as it broadens its scope. As more comes to light, as siblings are uncovered, as plots are revealed and mysteries abound, the story becomes both weak and confusing. And it still suffers from wonky dialogue.
I had the third volume with me so I went ahead and read it but I think it's safe to say I'd have stopped here had that third installment not been on hand.
So the thing is...I liked the story in Volume 1, or at least where I thought the story was going to go.
I felt the first one set the stage for plot and characters to be built and I thought this volume is where the building would happen but it didn't.
There was some pandering going on and if I remember, I'll show you a picture but right now, I'm on my tablet and the mobile app sucks and this is as good as it gets for the time being. But anyway, pandering.
A bad thing happens to poor alarm cat which paves the way for evil AI who should eventually have that moment where he has to choose to be an uncaring robot or a kind, humane being.
Kate is static. We were told in the first volume that she's always been a wild card, that she follows no rules but her own, that she's something of a badass but we know she has set that all aside to become a basic girl. But then she's thrown into adventure and none of that badassery really comes out, she's a 2D action and adventure female lead. There's not a lot to her, not a lot to hold onto, not a lot to care about or hate or anything. She's a placeholder and she's boring.
The rest of the characters are all stock, as well. Nothing new, nothing interesting.
Unfortunately for me, the story, which had been what hooked me in the last book, is beginning to unravel as it broadens its scope. As more comes to light, as siblings are uncovered, as plots are revealed and mysteries abound, the story becomes both weak and confusing. And it still suffers from wonky dialogue.
I had the third volume with me so I went ahead and read it but I think it's safe to say I'd have stopped here had that third installment not been on hand.
July 29, 2018
I'm already sick of Kate as the mc. Not a good sign for the series.
December 8, 2018
3.5 - The artwork is really great. The story isn't anymore what I thought it would be but I'm looking forward to more of it.
May 16, 2025
I still love this feeling, like dumping your toy box on the floor and having your dinosaurs fight your robots fight your wizards all while your wrestlers are plotting out their next dastardly move.
Now this trade is still a lot of fun, I spent a lot of time looking at each panel- there is so much going on BUT in a good way. You rarely are made to feel lost but you stay interested in the calamity unfolding. Now the reason I lowered my score is because I think the least interesting addition to the story is the family drama (Kate’s mom and dad certainly had to be in some strange circles). The sister being added to the mix just wasn’t as fun as the chase from the first trade or the overall craziness of the assassination attempts.
The dreamworld here was just okay. The father is clearly going to play a major role from off the page. The prospero group is probably also going to hang around (awesome design, eyes wide shut vibes). Excited for the next volume.
Now this trade is still a lot of fun, I spent a lot of time looking at each panel- there is so much going on BUT in a good way. You rarely are made to feel lost but you stay interested in the calamity unfolding. Now the reason I lowered my score is because I think the least interesting addition to the story is the family drama (Kate’s mom and dad certainly had to be in some strange circles). The sister being added to the mix just wasn’t as fun as the chase from the first trade or the overall craziness of the assassination attempts.
The dreamworld here was just okay. The father is clearly going to play a major role from off the page. The prospero group is probably also going to hang around (awesome design, eyes wide shut vibes). Excited for the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
There is a bunch happening here at the end of Act One, much of it being very mysterious. Although the series has remained entertaining and fast past, the shroud of mystery over Kate's past and lineage is a but garbled for me (but that comes with the territory). I will say though, the surprises and twists are very engaging and keep me interested enough to want more. I loved the Alarm Cat Funnies throwback to classic newspaper cartoons at the beginning of Chapter 8, such a fun way to introduce more of his story prior to Kate. It's moments like this were I can tell the author and artists are having so much fun with this series!
There is a bunch happening here at the end of Act One, much of it being very mysterious. Although the series has remained entertaining and fast past, the shroud of mystery over Kate's past and lineage is a but garbled for me (but that comes with the territory). I will say though, the surprises and twists are very engaging and keep me interested enough to want more. I loved the Alarm Cat Funnies throwback to classic newspaper cartoons at the beginning of Chapter 8, such a fun way to introduce more of his story prior to Kate. It's moments like this were I can tell the author and artists are having so much fun with this series!
October 14, 2023
I liked the first volume a bit more. This one had too much going on with too many revelations that I didn't have time to process them before we're on to the next one.
September 21, 2018
Still a great cast, still a captivating new world, still beautiful artwork, but the storyline has jumped the tracks and is headed for trouble. The clever buildup of the first installment of this graphic novel does not get the payoff it deserves in this second chapter where the action never ceases, but substance is severely lacking. The truly unique heroine is wasted as she struggles against new enemies and obstacles, without any sort of compelling explanation as to why any of this is happening or the ultimate point of the story. Again, all of this is a shame after the great promise of the first book and the refreshingly different alternate reality it created.
I will give the third volume a read, but it better pick up quick.
I will give the third volume a read, but it better pick up quick.
July 10, 2018
Genuinely awful story. Fantastic artwork though. Leila Del Duca's pencils are fantastic. She gives all the characters a unique style. The colorist Owen Gieni really makes Leila Del Duca's art pop in the best ways. He brings the world to life.
The problem is the story and the plot. Too many interesting elements are introduced and then quickly abandoned. I was left irritated and scratching my head quite a few times while reading this volume.
For instance, Spoilers: At the end of an issue our protagonist, Kate, is stabbed by her sister, Kalliyan, for the lamest of reasons; she wants to make a lasting impression on her. Then in the next issue Kalliyan, who stabbed her, is annoyed that the protagonist didn't trust her. It's very disingenuous and frustrating to read.
I'm on the fence about continuing the series. If I do it'll be because the art is really great stuff.
The problem is the story and the plot. Too many interesting elements are introduced and then quickly abandoned. I was left irritated and scratching my head quite a few times while reading this volume.
For instance, Spoilers: At the end of an issue our protagonist, Kate, is stabbed by her sister, Kalliyan, for the lamest of reasons; she wants to make a lasting impression on her. Then in the next issue Kalliyan, who stabbed her, is annoyed that the protagonist didn't trust her. It's very disingenuous and frustrating to read.
I'm on the fence about continuing the series. If I do it'll be because the art is really great stuff.
October 13, 2015
The universe this book exists in is so much better than the story told in it, which is this weird The Unwritten/Venture Bros inspired thing. It's all right but I would rather see Richard Scarry's characters have existential crises or a Felix the Cat clock realize its humanity. Ah well.
September 3, 2016
Super weird. More disjointed than the first volume by a lot. Five stars for the art, three for the writing. Not sure if I'll continue with this series since they're ILL only.
December 16, 2016
Still really enjoying this book, in fact I will start the next trade right now!!! How did I miss this when it first came out?
January 9, 2017
First off, start with Vol. 1, obvs.
I'm copying most of my review from that volume here, fair warning.
Sometimes, when illustrators try to combine multiple illustration styles, it doesn't work. Here, I really think it does. And it helps that the concept behind the world is pretty great.
Kate is the cherished daughter of an Indiana Jones type. Now, she's all grown up, living as a photographer in a tweaked version of NYC with her bestie and anthropomorphized talking cat clock. Then, there's a big action scene that came too soon for me and felt too superheroish, but then it settles back into a twisty adventure Lostish story that I liked a lot. I like how stories like this and Saga keep you guessing - you never know whether the talking bird will have wings or rollers, or if the next world will be full of leprechauns. There's a freedom to it.
Oh yeah, I should mention its super bloody and has a touch of cursing, for anyone who cares. Sorry to say no sex so far. ;)
As I flip through this thing to see if there's anything new to say, I'm blown back by some of the imagery here. This concept of a dreamland, with that guy with the gems... That skeletal dragon dude... The screen-print-style going during the mental stress panels... There's some pretty gorgeous stuff going on here.
I got the first two volumes of this at a library conference, signed by Leila del Duca, the Artist and first-billed Creator. This tells me she's prolly responsible for all the things I love here.
Sorry to say, though, that I doubt I'll track down the rest of the story, since they're not readily available in print from my library. I just have this feeling that by the time I got ahold of Vols. 3-4, I'd have forgotten all the strands of plot and it would end up biting my experience of this series in the ass (it's happened before). But that's more about me than about this. I freely recommend it.
I'm copying most of my review from that volume here, fair warning.
Sometimes, when illustrators try to combine multiple illustration styles, it doesn't work. Here, I really think it does. And it helps that the concept behind the world is pretty great.
Kate is the cherished daughter of an Indiana Jones type. Now, she's all grown up, living as a photographer in a tweaked version of NYC with her bestie and anthropomorphized talking cat clock. Then, there's a big action scene that came too soon for me and felt too superheroish, but then it settles back into a twisty adventure Lostish story that I liked a lot. I like how stories like this and Saga keep you guessing - you never know whether the talking bird will have wings or rollers, or if the next world will be full of leprechauns. There's a freedom to it.
Oh yeah, I should mention its super bloody and has a touch of cursing, for anyone who cares. Sorry to say no sex so far. ;)
As I flip through this thing to see if there's anything new to say, I'm blown back by some of the imagery here. This concept of a dreamland, with that guy with the gems... That skeletal dragon dude... The screen-print-style going during the mental stress panels... There's some pretty gorgeous stuff going on here.
I got the first two volumes of this at a library conference, signed by Leila del Duca, the Artist and first-billed Creator. This tells me she's prolly responsible for all the things I love here.
Sorry to say, though, that I doubt I'll track down the rest of the story, since they're not readily available in print from my library. I just have this feeling that by the time I got ahold of Vols. 3-4, I'd have forgotten all the strands of plot and it would end up biting my experience of this series in the ass (it's happened before). But that's more about me than about this. I freely recommend it.
December 14, 2017
Gahhh this series keeps pulling from stories and art that I grew up with and my soul is exploding with happiness!! Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland was the best! Also, the beautiful homage to Sunday morning comics has got me wishing I still got the paper.
While the main character is rather self important (surprise! It's actually a lady!) the story-line kind of requires it of her. I'm super excited to see her grow as a person and really pumped to see her relationship develop between her and Chris Jr. and Cassius. Getting to know her best friend is a top priority that I look forward to see too.
While the main character is rather self important (surprise! It's actually a lady!) the story-line kind of requires it of her. I'm super excited to see her grow as a person and really pumped to see her relationship develop between her and Chris Jr. and Cassius. Getting to know her best friend is a top priority that I look forward to see too.
October 20, 2018
What a wacky ride. I don't know what to make of this series yet, but I'm still enjoying the twists! There was some super interesting stuff happening with how the story is being told. Like after the cat clock's breakdown and the whole thing with referencing how the cat clock is feeling by using traditional comics from the funny sections. I really don't know what is going to happen to Kate, but I'm definitely interested in finding out more. And what about that ending with Chris (both Chris's?!) we'll just have to wait and see.
January 30, 2023
Huh, this volume did give a bit more backstory and I am enjoying reading these, but this felt all over the place. Disjointed, the dialogue was a bit strange at times, threads that seemed to almost go nowhere or resolve without any acknowledgement. This volume feels much more sci-fi than the previous one, though I'm still looking for the "exploring Indiana Jones" aspect that was so touted about this series, - that seems to be lacking. It's alright, the artwork is still spectacular. Will likely keep reading them!
October 1, 2022
Oofh... This is hard work. I'm very much drawn to the story and the characters, but it's far from an easy read. The story makes such unexpected and big jumps to new worlds/characters/plot twists it's hard to keep up with. I still don't have freaking clue what the hell is going on, but I'm sucked in and want to know more. Hope we learn to understand more about everything in the next volume. So many lose ends!
February 27, 2025
Kate and Chris fight off a dragon, but only end up swallowed whole and taken to Kate's older sister. She promptly stabs Kate. Is she allowed to do that to the main character? Kate wakes up later, bandaged, only to find the true purpose why her older sister brought her there. To find their father. First they seek their mother in the dreanscape. The story turns into crazy town at this point. Such a waste of time.
August 5, 2017
Hmmm... I liked the story in the first volume, and I thought this is going good! Then I was very excited to get the second one! Although I am a big fun of Leila Del Duca's artwork, the story was a big disappointment. I got confused while reading it, couldn't follow it, and to tell the truth I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one.. Two stars for me.
November 10, 2018
This volume was strange. Utterly confusing and mostly 3 star issues up until the final one which was basically 6/5. Hance, the overall 4 star rating. The cliffhanger in the final issue was epic and the way everything wrapped up was both satisfying and leaves me wanting more. Looking forward to the next issues!
July 6, 2019
An interesting second volume, confusing yet fun
Kate and young Chris find themselves in another world / dimension with all sorts of relations. It’s all a bit chaotic and quite hard to follow, especially as I’ve ended up reading these volumes out of order and a while ago for the others. The artwork is fun, entertaining, colourful and detailed. An interesting series.
March 26, 2024
Killed time at the library between uke class and Second Half and zoomed through Volumes 1 and 2. This was fun. A little Land of the Lost vibe in some of the worlds, a little Indiana Jones with some secret evils. But I kept expecting her to be a photographer (title?) and all the mysterious sibling stuff was pretty odd. You had to suspend a huge amount of disbelief right away.
June 11, 2017
A brilliantly original whirlwind of a fantasy adventure with a delightful sense of humor and frankly perfect art style. The series' overarching plot is still intriguingly vague, but everything about the first two volumes has been so thoroughly enjoyable that I don't mind at all. It's a joy to read.
March 14, 2018
I actually enjoyed this one a little more than the first. While the story is still a little disjointed and confusing. There is a broader picture developing and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
January 15, 2018
A pretty solid second volume of Image Comics' Shutter series. I had really liked the how the series has started and fell behind after reading the issues that made up the first volume.
February 23, 2018
this series kinda lost me. the interesting disjointed build in book 1 just continued in a disjointed manner here. made it hard to maintain interest
May 20, 2018
I 💓 alarm 🐈!
June 13, 2018
Another beautifully illustrated and imaginative adventure for Kate who is sort of a Lara Croft. The mystery is unraveling regarding her father and past.
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