Image Credit: Cutaway Comics (Fair Use)
Image Description: The cover of Lytton #3
Tides was provided with a free review copy of the comic
By James Ashworth
Following on from issues one and two, Lytton’s penultimate outing in Cutaway Comics’ limited series begins to give some answers about just what everyone’s favourite denizen from Vita Fifteen is up to. But while it’s the most visually striking to date, it also raises a lot of questions for the final issue to answer.
Much like the second issue, Lytton #3 is, at its heart, a journey from A to B. While its predecessor mostly got away with it, it doesn’t quite wash here, as the trio of Lytton, Wilson and Brown leave the abandoned Aldwych West tube station, travel through the vortex, and end up somewhere else entirely. Though there is time for something of an explanation of Lytton’s mysterious guest, Mr Longbody, the rest of the comic is mostly a series of set pieces happening during this journey.
While the plot may have slowed down somewhat, the art kicks things up again. One of the biggest appeals of Cutaway Comics’ offerings so far, whether Lytton or Omega, is that they have a very strong visual style. For this third issue, Barry Renshaw takes the opportunity to take in a range of different styles, with a much more psychedelic flavour than before. Whilst the plot may not be a complex one, Barry certainly makes it attractive, with tube trains, catacombs and time vortexes all stunningly realised. The latter is the highlight, featuring a swirling maelstrom of colour with an the additional benefit of combat with a samurai-style alien. The visual art is also accented with onomatopoeic words that really lend themselves to increasing the tension of certain scenes.
As a result, by its conclusion, Lytton #3 has built up a lot of questions and unresolved drama, but not answered many in and of itself. It seems like there’s a lot to be explained in the final issue of the series, including what seems like an Earthshock callback, and it remains to be seen how that will pan out. Whatever the case may be, it’ll certainly look fantastic while it happens.
The Tides of Time 
[…] Lytton soon to come to the end of its run, Omega will soon be leading as Cutaway Comics’ flagship […]
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[…] As predicted in the third issue, this final story has a lot of plot to get through – and it does. However, it continues to cut the stylistic path cut by the previous two issues, with a number of ‘silent’ pages as our heroes come together before the title page. This leads those remaining with a lot of plot to get through, tying up the fates of Miss L, Artemis, Mr Longbody and more in the pages it has left. That said, while there is a lot of exposition to be had, the comic continues to cut a distinctive swathe, with distinctive fight scenes unlike little else in Who media these days. […]
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