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Dead Man’s Run #4
Publisher: Aspen
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Tony Parker
Colors: Wes Hartman
At long last, Dead Man’s Run has returned! In this fourth installment, Sam and his band of lost souls are making their way down into the fiery levels of this hellish prison. They’ve defeated everything that’s been thrown at them, but what will they do when they are face to face with the nightmares of children in hell? Also, will they be able to reach Juniper in time, or will she succumb to the demon who’s currently sucking the soul right out of her? Lots of questions, but luckily many answers, as well!
It’s been too long since the last issue!!! In all seriousness, that’s how you know this book is good. You can’t wait for the next issue, and when you finally get your hands on it, you tear through it like never before. Seeing Sam and Juniper down in the bad place, among thieves, murderers, and rapists, is crazy and wild, too! The group that Pak (World War Hulk, Incredible Hercules) has thrown together is as diverse and unpredictable as could be imagined. Killers, a housewife, engineers, you name it. Coupled with the fact that the setting is absolutely insane, this book just keeps getting better. Also, you don’t know exactly where Sam is always heading. That unknown quantity adds a certain depth to the story that makes it stand out from the crowd.
The artwork in this series has been a great showcase for artist Tony Parker (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep). His style is quite good, especially for a character driven book like this one. His ability to show emotion in his characters is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. You get the sense that he would’ve been one of those artists back in the early days of Marvel that could be handed an idea, and draw a story that would be scripted later. Yeah, he’s that good, and probably going to get even better with more work. The cover, by Parker and Steigerwald, is always solid, and certainly adds to the charm of the books. Rating 5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net