Been There, Done That

Morning Glories #2

Written by Nick Spencer with art by Joe Eisma.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from “Morning Glories,” but the premise of a prep school mystery is certainly one that I’ve seen before: Morning Glory Academy isn’t what it seems.

The series kicks off with an escape attempt from the prep school, which involves blowing up part of the school. There’s no explanation for what’s going on and Spencer makes sure to keep the readers predominantly in the dark, only granting us with small details to this mystery.

So here’s what we know: The comic consists of six newly enrolled students at a new-age, highly successful prep school known as Morning Glory Academy. All of our protagonists share the same birthday, hinting at some revelation later on in the series. Their parents no longer remember who they are and, in the case of one student (Casey), her parents were murdered by the cliché, sadistic, librarian-esque teacher responsible for the children.

#2 opens with a sequence of panels detailing Casey’s torture at the hands of the dominatrix teacher. After refusing to answer her question, she’s thrown in detention, where she finds the other protagonists. I can honestly say that seeing all the characters at once is a bit disappointing. The guys are stereotypical, only chasing after barely-clad girls afterhours. The girls are even more disappointingly flat. Throughout the entire issue, the girls are subjected to an attempted murder, torture, and then almost drowned, all in the interest of the dominatrix establishing power and authority.

Spoiler: She wins by flooding the detention room. (Probably because the students are more interested in getting laid than getting out of a place that’s obviously not safe)

This issue is supposed to be about Casey, but she’s literally drowned out by the flashback stories of how the other students wound up in detention. And because the comic changes perspectives each issue, #3 will focus on Jade, a girl for whom I’ve already developed distaste,. But I’ll hold my judgments until then. It has potential if written well, but with the amount of female torture in these 26 pages, something tells me not to hold my breath.