The number of Vertigo ongoings continues to steadily dwindle as Jeff Lemire’s beloved ongoing reaches its conclusion. After the sudden climax of the previous issue, how does Lemire bring his tale to close?
Written and Illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Gus’s journey comes to an end and the fate of the hybrids is revealed in the final issue of the acclaimed Vertigo series!
Upon finishing “Sweet Tooth” #40, one might think that the book was canceled early. After all, the large majority of the issue is devoted to filling in the gaps — telling, rather than showing, the reader that “Then this happened, and then this, and then…” It seems like so much that we were meant to see happen went and happened without us being there to witness; in particular, the development of Gus from an innocent, lost child to a great man. Did we miss anything? Did DC hustle Jeff Lemire off the book in order to get him on more New 52 titles? Did Jeff Lemire simply lose interest in the story he was telling?
Of course not. After the previous issue, this is clearly the finale “Sweet Tooth” was meant to have, and when viewed as part of a whole, rather than as an individual issue, it works ideally.
Warning: spoilers for “Sweet Tooth” #39 follow.
As I mentioned in my review of issue #39, “Sweet Tooth” is not Gus’s story, but Jeppard’s. Over the course of thirty-nine issues, we saw the big man change from a cold, distant figure with a dark past trying to survive in a broken world into a truly good human being, willing to sacrifice himself for others. To put it simply, it would not make sense for us to follow the adventures of Gus and company for another forty issues; with our main source of character development gone and Gus still in a raw state of development due to his age, the book would be without an anchor. Even though Gus says “This story is not about him [Jeppard],” he is refering to the stories we did not see in this ongoing. Those stories do not involve the Big Man, and so they are not part of “Sweet Tooth.” Instead, the frame of this book allows us to see the effect that Jeppard’s sacrifice had on Gus as he grew up, and ties the final knot in the character arc that has driven “Sweet Tooth.” One of man’s most timeless fears is that the good he does on earth will not “matter” — the wrongs he tried to right will return, his mark on the world will fade, and no heavenly award for his goodness will await him. The finale of “Sweet Tooth” reassures us that it only takes one man to make a difference, that one man can set an example for the world, and manages to be a terrific sendoff for Jeppard without picturing him for more than a few panels.
The last few pages deserve particular mention when it comes to script. Through the issue, Lemire builds a narrative cadence that begins each scene, the same few words that both open and close the lives of themes, subplots and characters. As we hit the last few pages, having seen the world that Gus has built, Lemire twists these words to make them not a transition, but a pulsing beat that leads the comic into its final page. Any more would be pushing the boundaries of spoilers, but suffice to say, it is something beautiful to behold, and reinforces Lemire’s status as a true innovator when it comes to words as well as images.
Speaking of images, Lemire is in top shape here. As always, his facial expressions are the key toward carrying the complex emotions Lemire is working with, and the adult Gus’s face is particularly worth studying. His is one that has been chiseled by a life of hardship, and that conveys the attitude of a survivor, and yet Lemire is easily able to show that Gus has learned Jeppard’s lesson that a life of violence is one not worth living, softening Gus’s face without ever losing the core of his structure. While Lemire does many things exceedingly well — unique layouts, fluid motion, fascinating composition — his ability to translate real human emotion into lines on paper is his greatest talent, and an area where he may very well have no equal. The colors of Jose Villarrubia have always been a treat on this book, but as he has in a few issues before, Lemire steps in and contributes some color work of his own, resulting in a visual contrast that helps make some panels truly carry their weight. Lemire is one of the most unique illustrators working in the industry, and fans will find the same high watermark of artistic quality in this issue that is present in every pages he draws.
The brief delay between #39 and #40 may make this issue seem to be a bit abrupt at first, but as a bookend, it brings the story of Jeppard and Gus to a very satisfying conclusion. “Sweet Tooth” has been quite a ride from issue #1, a roller coaster of emotion and imagination, and while it is strange to finally see it ending, Lemire played off his cast with a strong sense of closure and dignity. Goodbye, Sweet Tooth. Goodbye, Big Man. That sure was a story.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy the trades if you missed out.
