“Copperhead” #2 ended on a cliffhanger that left tantalizing story threads for the reader to ponder. Just who exactly is Ishmael and what are his intentions? Did he murder the Sewells as implied by his possession of their sacred swavash? Will Clara blow his brains out? In this issue, the storytellers answer some of these questions while presenting even more mysteries.
Written by Jay FaerberCover by Scott Godlewski
Illustrated by Scott Godlewski
Colored by Ron Riley
Lettered by Thomas MauerSheriff Clara Bronson’s plan to catch a murderer takes her deep inside the copper mine.
At first glance, “Copperhead” #3’s cover teases an action-packed chapter in the adventures of Sheriff Bronson. Our heroine is shown taking cover behind a wall and with her sidearm drawn. Has the situation with Ishmael escalated, we wonder?
The book opens with a remarkable splash page in which a bloodied Ishmael is shown in the foreground with his back turned to a riled up Clara pointing her gun at him. Clara orders him to freeze while a stunned Zeke looks on in the background. Zeke attempts to get his mother to back off by telling her that it was Ishmael who brought them home safely. Even so, she harbors prejudice towards artificial humans and remains adamant that Ishmael is up to no good. After submitting a retinal scan that does nothing to convince Clara of his goodwill, Ishmael simply vanishes into the night.
Once inside the house, Clara berates Zeke for disobeying her and putting himself in danger. The two share a tender moment when the boy reveals that he was just trying to be like his mother who always helps those in need. The page’s last panel in which they share a teary hug is quite touching and provides a fitting conclusion to an eventful sequence of events.
The next page transitions into a morning setting and finds Clara already awake and watching Mrs. Sewell via CCTV. Boo arrives and informs her that he was unable to find any evidence at the crime scene. Clara then asks him to babysit Zeke while she questions Mrs. Sewell.
At Dr. Moseley’s clinic, Mrs. Sewell shares a tender moment with her comatose son, Cletus that humanizes the character and enables us, the reader, to feel her pain and desire for retribution to those responsible for this heinous crime. Unfortunately, when Clara questions Mrs. Sewell, she is unable to determine who did this or why. It’s only when she sees Mrs. Sewell’s reaction to the news that the swavash is missing when she realizes that something is off.
After being released from custody, Mrs. Sewell journeys to a mine on the outskirts of town. Clara follows discreetly until she is seen by Mrs. Sewell. A chase scene rendered in an inventive nine-panel layout ensues. Mrs. Sewell locates and threatens to kill an artie who had loaned her husband money and thus had motive to murder the family. Clara points her gun at Mrs. Sewell and implores her not to kill him or else she’ll have no choice but to use her weapon.
Meanwhile, back at the Sheriff’s office, Boo is getting mildly annoyed at Zeke’s childish and inquisitive antics when he unexpectedly discovers that Ishmael was in fact carrying the Sewell’s swavash. Cut to the badlands where Ishmael meets the person who hired him to collect the item. This individual is revealed in the comic’s final splash page. He is the same species as the Sewells, which is an unexpected twist and makes his motives all the more puzzling.
While the previous issue was set at night and had a lot more action, “Copperhead” #3 is more of a character-focused chapter. Characters like Ishmael have slightly bigger roles, character dynamics such as that of Zeke and Boo are established, and the mystery of why the Sewell’s were murdered is presented in an interesting way. The artwork excels in revealing emotion. Godlewski’s closeups and straightforward panel layouts are appropriate for the storytelling setup that happens in this chapter. Furthermore, the splash pages that open and close the comic provide an interesting bookend.
The coloring is splendid. While Ron Riley did a fine job in the previous installment’s nighttime setting, this issue presents a fantastic showcase for the warmer hues of the daytime desert landscape. The cliffhanger leaves us eager to discover why the Sewell’s were murdered.
