Finally, after 15 weeks, we’ve come to the last instalment of our review of the “Copperhead” series. It’s been a mostly enjoyable ride albeit with a few weak entries in this otherwise solid comic. Fortunately, the creators have delivered some of their best work in these last issues. They’ve also provided answers to Clara’s backstory and finally resolved the conflict between sheriff Bronson and Clay.
Written by Jay Faerber and Scott GodlewskiCover by Scott Godlewski
Illustrated by Drew Moss and Scott Godlewski
Colored by Ron Riley
Lettered by Thomas MauerClara’s darkest secret is revealed as Zeke comes face to face with his father; Clara’s been shot, stabbed, and beaten. But nothing will stop her from being reunited with her son; Co-creator SCOTT GODLEWSKI returns!The natives are getting restless…
“Copperhead” #17 wastes no time in picking up events from the previous issue. As a distraught Zeke cradles Mrs. Sewell’s lifeless body, Ishmael and Clay, like two warring gunslingers, attempt to convince the child to join their respective sides. The boy is torn by his need to know his father and his instinct to question why this man would murder Mrs. Sewell. This conflict is heightened further by his loyalty to Zeke, a father-figure he has grown to love ever since he and his mother arrived in Copperhead.
The artwork on this page perfectly captured the inherent drama of the kid’s dilemma. The composition in the top panel had Ishmael and Clay on the edges of the frame while Zeke was placed in the center thus visually capturing his split loyalties. In addition, the use of closeups in single panels for each of the participants in the scene helped to ramp up the tension before the inevitable physical confrontation.
Ishmael, ever the formidable warrior, is no match for Clay who proceeds to pummel the artie to within an inch of his life. Meanwhile, Clara provides Annabeth with the rest of the backstory hinted at in the previous chapter. The flashback revealed that Fiona was a ruthless gangster willing to take the lives of innocents. The moment Clara confronted her sister felt forced. After so much build-up, it seemed improbable that Clara would kill her own sister in order to save an innocent man she had no connection to. Furthermore, the fact that she took the money the pair had stolen and put it in a trust fund for Zeke makes for a rather bizarre turn of events.
The scene concludes abruptly when Clara breaks free of her bonds, executes her captor and makes her way back to town for a showdown with Clay. It is at this moment when we have a sequence similar to the one we saw before where Zeke is forced to choose between Clara and Clay. Clay bombards the boy with the truth about what happened to his mother. A revelation which adversely affects the mother/son relationship. Clara then wounds Clay and has him arrested.
Later, at the morgue, Clara learns that Ishmael has sustained serious injuries beyond the doctor’s abilities. He’s on borrowed time and they are powerless to assist him. This leads to a touching moment shared between Clara and an unconscious Ishmael. She pours her heart out, thanking him for all he’s done and kisses his hand in a page that arguably showcased Moss’s best work on the series so far. The emotion was more than adequately conveyed in the panel layouts, shot choices and facial expressions. It cannot be overstated just how much his work has improved, especially in this, his last issue on the book.
“Copperhead” #19 sees Scott Godlweski making a welcome return to art duties after an absence that felt like an eternity. In addition, he gets a co-writing credit for the first time ever. Godlweski’s presence is felt from page one when we see a return to the character designs and compositions that made us fall in love with the series. The bombshell revelation that Clara murdered Zeke’s mother has had an adverse effect on their relationship and he becomes distant and sullen. A disturbance in the neighborhood leads to the discovery that the planet’s original inhabitants are on the prowl and threatening the residents of the town.
Continued belowBack at the clinic, Zeke and Mrs. Sewell shared a poignant conversation. When he reveals his feelings about what he learnt about Clara and his doubts about her as a mother, Mrs. Sewell, a character who has suffered the loss of a child, shares some much needed advice that puts his mind at ease. The writing in this moment was quite good. Godlweski rendered this moment masterfully. There’s a panel that effectively uses an overhead shot. Mrs. Sewell lies on the bed but has one of her four arms around Zeke’s shoulder in a maternal way. It’s a subtle thing but this artist’s skill at capturing body language has been sorely missed.
During a meeting with Hickory, Boo suspects that the man is up to no good and enlists Clara’s help in getting to the bottom of his scheme. We soon learn that the miners employed by Hickory are extracting antennae from the natives in order to manufacture a hallucinogenic drug. This culminates in dire consequences for the town as an army of these natives are advancing towards the residents in the dead of night.
The series has not returned since this cliffhanger was set upon us over three years ago. With many Image titles often taking extended hiatuses, we hope that someday Faerber and Godlweski return and continue the current story arc. Things were starting to get interesting again and we hope that the title’s sales have been good enough to justify a continuation of the story.
