Skin Deep: Obverse & Reverse, Ch. 1: Claws that Catch by Kory Bing

First posted here.

Continuing from previously unreviewed sections my last review being found here, of this lovely comic.

Liverpool Avalon, Sept. 2005, Michelle and Greg are lounging near the side of the roof, when Bloodcarver, the dragon pops by trying to get Greg’s attention discreetly, but he’s yelling out there’s a dragon down below. Instead, Bloodcarver goes up to them and grabs Michelle. Greg goes to jump on the dragon’s back as he’s swimming down below. So, Bloodcarver plucks him out of the sky and sticks him in the air bubble with Michelle before submerging them all.

When Bloodcarver reaches Avalon, he sets the bubble down and it pops with Michelle looking peeved and sassy. Greg is pissed off and insulting Bloodcarver, whom is staying cool-headed and wanting to explain. Michelle is pissed Bloodcarver had kidnapped her again, and warned him she had learned more about dragons since last time, so she’ll listen, and Bloodcarver exasperatedly apologizes before getting to his point.

Well, Bloodcarver’s point was to reveal he was taking Michelle to meet his people, which meant he was far from being the last of his kind, and Michelle seeing it as a forced trip on behalf of his higher ups. She and Greg then try to make Bloodcarver feel like a bully toward sphinxes due to dragons having been attempting to protect themselves “by any means necessary“, but to Bloodcarver had been the sphinxes undoing to themselves due to their own arrogance. As Greg continues the good fight to defend Michelle and the sphinxes good name, Michelle begins to feel shame for what she’d learned so far about her ancestors, and then when she’d heard the two arguing over whom she should listen to, she gets pissed and ends their spat. Michelle makes clear she didn’t appreciate them talking about her like she wasn’t present and then states she only wanted to be able to reverse the effects of the medallion which had begun her weird journey, preferring her own weird, singleton life based on her own decisions.

Michelle makes clear she intended to speak with the Bloodcarver’s leader after he clarified he was kidnapping Michelle on his own volition due to a previous mission’s failure and thought bringing her would help his status. Greg attempts to change her mind, but she feels too affected by her ancestors and her anger swinging her into speaking with one of them ethereally behind her. Greg gets teary as Michelle states how she needed to do this, since she felt she could and everyone was saying she was so powerful. She then requests Greg return to Avalon to let everyone know what her plan was, Bloodcarver agreeing to take him since she agreed to continue on his mission to meet his people.

They have a sweet departing of ways and Michelle attempts to buoy herself with stating her hope she could follow through her mission successfully as she’d sounded like she felt when speaking with Greg.

Another great, yet short installment. I continue to appreciate this series even though it’s been quite awhile since I’d read the series, so I’m looking forward to catching up to the next few chapters.