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SYFY WIRE Brian Michael Bendis

Take a deep dive into our exclusive preview of Pearl #6

By Ernie Estrella
Pearl #6 Cover

If you thought Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos' collaboration peaked when they co-created Jessica Jones, think again. You need to read their latest Jinxworld title, Pearl. Caught between Yakuza crime boss and crazed heads of a smut empire, Pearl Tanaka's first story arc is coming to a thrilling conclusion. In the last issue, readers were just about to find out what secrets Mr. Miike has been withholding–and then the Endo Twins show up. SYFY WIRE has the exclusive preview of Pearl #6, by Bendis and Gaydos, which goes on sale January 23. 

Pearl #6 Page 1

For those who need to catch up, Pearl has been tasked to kill a fellow tattoo artist, Rick Araki, for her Yakuza boss Mr. Miike. But the target just happens to be a young man she's interested in. Instead, she's saved Rick–twice–and on top of having to deal with Mr. Miike, the crazy porn-loving, money-laundering Endo Twins are hot on her trail too after she's made their lives and business more difficult.

Being the center of all this tension has Pearl emotionally spent, so that means we've also seen Pearl's rare skin condition in action. Shortly after mother died, she tattooed her skin with an empty gun, and these tattoos become visible only when she's flush with emotion. It all makes for one of the coolest visuals in comics, and honestly, that is saying a lot. We've seen Pearl's ink a lot of late as the walls are closing around her. That is how you come out of the gates. Bendis and Gaydos have delivered a comic that we didn't know we want, but after five issues, readers need every bit of this Yakuza drama they can get, including insightful and oftentimes incredibly amusing flashbacks that help piece together how Pearl arrived at her predicament in the present day.

In this flashback, Pearl Tanaka loses her virginity, well, not for that. We're talking about Pearl who has been in a crossroads of living out her dream as a tattoo artist or taking up the deadly family trade. So here's a sequence of her very first ... well, you should read it for yourself, because it's funny how it all plays out.

Pearl #6 Page 2

As it was announced in Pearl #3, what was originally solicited as a six-issue miniseries will take a month-long break after this latest issue. Then it will return in March to go monthly. See all five pages of our preview below, and then pick up the entire issue of Pearl #6 this Wednesday at your local comic shop or digital retailer.