Sweet Tooth: The Return #4 – Jeff Lemire, Writer/Artist; Jose Villarrubia, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: For the first half of this series, Jeff Lemire has largely kept us in the dark. How did a Gus who looks exactly like the old one wind up in this future? What has happened to the world since the great plague? Well, when the answers come, they come in waves. Lemire continues to do all the art in this series, but this issue the narrative is split—between main-timeline segments and flashbacks set in muted black and white. In these scenes, we finally get a little of the truth behind how this new Gus was created and who the evil Father is exactly. A desperate pair of brothers trying to save their world are eventually split by ethical questions as they stumble upon a laboratory with the key to potentially reversing the plague. Gus takes a backseat this issue, but this issue paints a fascinating portrayal of one of the most repulsive villains in modern DC history, and a new narrative develops about the survivor of one of the greatest crimes Father committed. This is an essential read for any Lemire fan.
American Vampire 1976 #5 – Scott Snyder, Writer; Rafael Albuquerque, Artist; Dave McCaig, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Scott Snyder saved a lot of this series’ mythology for the last act, and that means this series can be a bit of an infodump. It’s still a highly compelling infodump, as his writing has only gotten better since the earlier minis. After the first few issues got the band back together, the motley crew of vampires and allies has found their way to the chamber of the oldest American Vampires to make a plea. Along the way, we get a better look at how the American vampire bloodline truly began and what causes the ongoing enmity between the elders and the country they inhabit. There are some great creatures and jump scares in this issue, including an excellent cliffhanger, but it seems clear that there is at least one big development to come as one character is about to get a massive level-up. And Skinner Sweet continues to be one of the best antiheroes in modern comics in the John Constantine tradition.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
