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Review: Sweets #4

By | January 7th, 2011
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Written and Illustrated by Kody Chamberlain

A strange series of events in the spree killer case drives a wedge between Detective Curt Delatte and the only thing he’s ever been good at–his job.

A little bit of a delay with this one, but the fourth issue of Chamberlain’s creator owned mini is out and we’re one away from the finale. With this issue, how does the series hold up on an individual basis? And more specifically, how does this issue alone come out?

Find out after the cut.

There is a consistent argument being held in regards to the “mini-series.” Some fully believe that it makes more sense to wait until a story is fully collected and read it as a whole, as a graphic novel – the way it was ultimately intended and, dare I say, destined to be. Others find that the chase put on by a book released individually, one chapter at a time, adds a certain level of tension and thrill to the story. While it can be read when it’s completed, it’s more fun to read it when it’s not. Of course, the detriment to this equation is when delays come, for whatever reason – and the last time we saw Sweets? October 2010, rougly 2 months ago.

The fortunate thing about Sweets #4, however, is that despite the delay in issue release, this issue is actually the most easily accessible of the story. Due to expositionary dialogue and scene placement, it’s easy for one to remember what happened in the comic and pick up along. Chamberlain barrels the story forward at somewhat of an odd pace (which, to be fair, the whole title has had), but the plot is steady and the dual timelines offer up an interesting perspective towards what is to come in the end – but not just to it’s “logical” conclusion as one might assume from myriads of cop drama stories. Instead, tiny threads that Chamberlain laid down earlier in the series come to fruition here, with the twist here not just being an average twist, but one that actually has a lot of sinister implications which could – and assumedly will – make up for a rather shocking finale, and one that will also have a much heavier impact as a single issue comic than a trade due to it’s cliffhanger.

The genre here has been rather done to death in movies and in TV, but in comics it’s not as easy to come by a straight cop drama like this, and certainly not of this caliber. For the most part, this is held strong due to the strength of Chamberlain’s art. Fans of artists like Tommy Lee Edwards would be foolish to not grab this comic, as Chamberlain applies the same sense of gritty edge that we’ve seen in Edwards, let alone previous issues of this series. Chamberlain has a definitive mustard yellow palette that lights up the world in an eerie glow, and his use of different colors and artist styles during different time periods translates incredibly well to the reader in a very Sienkiewicz fashion, one that’s not seen in comics very often anymore. The other notable thing Kody does so well over other comics is he makes his blood stick. In a world that has a definite palette to it, the blood really comes off the page, which just goes to show the masterful coloring Chamberlain is doing here. Everything in this comic is Chamberlain, and it shows his love for the story and dedication to the medium rather well.

In addition to all that, there is one element that has to be glorified: the final page of Sweets #4 is gold. In fact, I dare say it’s the sweetest thing about the issue. The framing, posture, and quote all line up to such a fantastic cliffhanger for the issue that it made me want to put on sunglasses and play “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” For a cop drama comic, it was the perfect final note to end on.

Those of you who waited for trade perhaps did the right thing in that you will be able to read it all in one go. However, some of the impact of the story will definitely be lost on the traders, and while the delays did somewhat hurt the book a tad, it still picks up and reads well, and the fourth issue of this mini still remains one of the better books of the week – if only for Chameberlain’s great sense of style and color in his artwork.

Final Verdict: 8.4 – Buy


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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