Harrow County #20 Review — Funny Thing, Destiny
After Harrow County #18, I felt as though maybe things were going to be alright for Emmy, after all. It’s been revealed that she is not, in fact, the witch Hester reborn, and that she’s actually Ameryllis. It seemed fair to assume, then, that all the evil and malice of Hester went to Kammi, and Emmy is in the clear as far as walking down Hester’s path. But then Harrow County #20 happened, and I’m left teary eyed and terrified for Emmy and CURSE YOU CULLEN BUNN! <sob>
After Malachi/The Abandoned so very easily handled the ill-fated hunters, it was unclear whether or not Emmy would be able to save the young hounds keeper who wandered off in the woods to die. Malachi’s continued establishing of his position within the woods of Harrow remains a fascinating thing to watch. As he asserts his authority and superiority, I wondered how long it would be until his fellow haints decided to test their mettle against him. Watching the devious little “rodents” attempt to duke it out with him may hint at future such rebellious acts.
Emmy’s subsequent chastising of all involved was also welcome. Now that she is more comfortable knowing she’s not an evil witch reborn, it’s possible that she is willing to create some form of order throughout Harrow County. And, as happy as I was that she was able to rescue that young boy MY HAPPINESS QUICKLY TURNED TO HORROR AND DESPAIR. Harrow County #20 starts as a nice little stroll through Emmy’s empowerment and quickly ends on a horrifying note. OK, let’s break this down.
At first, it seems the real terror is not Kammi’s reappearance in the form of a haunted doll, seeking revenge. To be fair, that is very concerning. Kammi’s malice was every bit that of Hester’s, and she has a bit of a grudge against both Emmy and Malachi. Of course, the question is how Malachi knew that Kammi was the one who planted the idea of hunting Malachi into the hunters’ heads to begin with. That, I’m sure, will need to be address. As will the question of whether or not Skinless Boy is strong enough to tackle Kammi, even in doll form.
But, no. All of that pales in Emmy’s horrifying act of creation. On one hand, she is right that sending a boy, covered in blood, back home with the news of his uncles’ deaths will be a bad thing. It’ll attract unwanted attention to both Harrow County and the horrible beast lurking in the woods. That is a bad thing, but surely there was a better solution that Emmy rebirthing the men from mud. You know, just like Hester used to do? Emmy meant well, certainly, but nothing good comes from this. Not a single thing.
I teared up as Emmy molded the Earth to create the hunters anew. Despite constant warnings that Hester started out with good intentions, Emmy has clearly forgotten that the road to hell is paved with them. Harrow County #20 may very well be the dark turning point that we all suspected was lurking in Emmy’s path, but hoped it wasn’t. Kammi or no, Emmy is now toying with abilities and powers she never should have.
Total aside comment: I can’t help but feel as though issues #19 and #20 had their covers switched. The cover for this issue makes much more sense with the initial hunting of Malachi, and the cover for #19 clearly foretells of the events in issue #20. Is that just me?
