While Eerie Cuties claims to be a comedy horror, for the most part the comedy is emphasized over the horror. Today’s update was a subtle reminder of the horror aspect to the comic: both with Nina’s introspection on having drunken blood when she’d possessed her sister’s body (using a plot gimmick for a quick “Freaky Friday” story) and with the possessed doll Blair, who was apparently ready to run a stake through Nina depending on her reaction to eating chocolate once more. To be honest, I’m not quite sure which was more surprising: Blair with a stake, or Nina in quiet contemplation.
Blair’s bit with the stake was out of left field (though there were some hints during the storyline that the doll didn’t like the idea of Nina drinking blood, even when she possessed her sister Layla’s body). Up until now, Blair’s been a one-dimensional character that existed mostly annoyed other female cast members (and most of the readership). In essence, Blair was the comedy relief in a comic that already emphasizes humor over dramatic storytelling. But with one stake hidden behind its back, this dynamic has shifted. Suddenly, there’s an actual purpose behind Blair and the hope that there is a back story for the doll which will hopefully prove interesting.
What I found more intriguing though was Nina’s contemplation. She’s troubled by what she went through. Up until now she never thought twice about preferring chocolate to blood. But now, she knows what it’s about. She knows why her sister craves blood. And she may be realizing she’s… not like her sister, or her parents. She knew this before… but this hammered it down. Further, she’s starting to wonder why she is different. This is a new direction for Nina. It may very well be a new direction for the comic as well, and may provide Gisèle Lagacé and Dave Zero 1 a chance to slowly introduce horrific elements to what’s predominantly been a comedy.
The emotional development for Nina struck me when I read this as well (in fact I made a post about it in the Eerie Cutie forums). While the thing with Blair is probably the more important story-thread in this update, Nina’s introspection jumped out at me more. Nina is facing some questions that are, in general, much like questions that many children ask as they start to grow older: “Why am I different? Why am I not like everyone else? What’s wrong with me?” These questions can undermine a person’s self-confidence, sometimes causing damage that can last a lifetime.
Nina is no longer certain she believes the explanation she’s been told all her life. For whatever reason, what’s normal for everyone else is not normal for her, and she is no longer certain she understands why. This seems like it could be a pivotal moment for Nina. We must watch to see which way the balance shifts.