Scout's Honor #3 // Review
Scout's Honor #3 is written by David Pepose, drawn by Luca Casalanguida, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. Scout's Honor #3 follows Kit as she undertakes the "Trials of the Eagle," risking her life and friendship with Dez to get the answers she seeks.
At the start of Scout's Honor #3, Kit is all alone. Her father is dead, and her friendship with Dez hasn't recovered since he kissed her and then found out she would be undertaking the Trials with him. And since learning that the Ranger Scouts were the ones who killed their founder, Doctor Jefferson Hancock, her fellow scouts no longer feel like the community they once did. Kit's only option is to undergo the Trials of the Eagle so she can get answers and so her father's death won't be in vain.
The Trials of the Eagle pushes Kit to her limits physically and mentally. Through this process, Pepose reveals more about Kit's character, what truly matters to her when she has nothing else left. Kit's driven to succeed and to keep her fellow Ranger Scouts safe. Kit is selfless, but that doesn't mean she'll just lie down and let Dez take the position in the Eagle's Guard from her. And it's clear that losing her friendship with Dez was a devastating blow, especially so soon after the death of her father. But her drive to learn just how deep the corruption of the Ranger Scouts goes and get justice is more important than Dez's feelings.
With much of the narrative of Scout's Honor #3 being dedicated to Kit's experiences in the Trials of the Eagle, the reader gets to see more of the world outside of the base of the Scout Rangers. And the outside world is a cruel, desolate place. Casalanguida goes all-in on the horrific post-apocalyptic landscape complete with broken-down technology and giant monstrous 'suicide hornets.' Scout's Honor #3 also provides Casalanguida with a multitude of opportunities for exciting action sequences, and his dynamic poses don't disappoint.
Milla's colors perfectly complement Casalanguida's art in Scout's Honor #3. The pages have a dark, gritty feeling, perfect for a post-apocalyptic setting, without actually being too dark to determine the details.
Mangual's lettering was next level during the Scouts battle against the 'suicide hornets.' In addition to the expressive sound effects, there's one moment where the entire panel is made up of the sound effect with the art contained inside the lettering. It's a cool concept and executed very well.
Scout's Honor #3 did a phenomenal job of fleshing out Kit's character even more as the stakes get higher. The closer she gets to answers, the more Kit begins to question if the Ranger Scouts are the heroic organization she thought they were. In her quest for answers, Kit may lose herself.
