Review by Frank Plowright

Golden Rage’s first outing detailed a society where menopausal women are deemed surplus to requirement and isolated on an island to fend for themselves. An unsatisfying ending slightly marred an otherwise entertaining story during which Chrissy Williams had points to make. That ending indicated an attack on the island was imminent, but there was no specific information beyond that.

Mother Knows Best opens with the surviving cast still waiting for the apocalypse and gradually running out of food during a harsh winter. Then their problems increase.

Part of what was dealt with last time was the organisation of societies, showing people who have very little factionalise even when it’s in their best interests to come together and work out their differences. The women did in the end, but old schisms are beginning to develop again. Rosa, such a pillar of strength, is a loner, not a leader, and opinions about her vary.

Williams once again has a different narrator for every chapter, and because we now know who people are she’s able to slip nasty true intentions into the narrative captions. These are accompanied by some brilliant expressions from Lauren Knight, especially when it comes to the ball of bile known as the Witch in the third chapter. Once again Knight in combination with colourist Sofie Dodgson produces spartan landscapes that nonetheless impress, but it’s the visual characterisation of the cast that sticks in the mind. They’re assorted and of different temperaments, but all memorable.

Mother Knows Best lives up to the title in a couple of ways. Williams has pulled off quite the coup by postponing what seemed to be coming at the end of the opening graphic novel to tell a powerful drama packed with shocking and unpredictable moments. It also makes good use of what’s already been established, and rectifies last time’s mis-step. It’s great.