“Road of Bones” #4

“Road of Bones” #4 bring a ghoulishly effective mini to a close in the best possible way: by delivering on its premise. Warning:spoilers ahead.

Cover by Alex Cormack

Written by Rich Douek
Illustrated & Colored by Alex Cormack
Lettered by Justin Birch

Roman and Sergei passed the point of no return a long time ago. All that remains is the question of whether they will finally taste freedom, or die in the frozen wasteland. Yet even as they work together to survive the brutal and unforgiving tundra, the machinations of the Domovik may wind up consuming them both. The epic tale of survival horror comes to a deadly conclusion in Road of Bones #4 from writer Rich Douek (Gutter Magic) and artist Alex Cormack (SINK). A sense-shattering conclusion for fans of psychological and survival horror!

“Road of Bones” #4 is the end of the line for Roman and Sergei. As we learned last issue, Grigori’s best-laid plans kind of backfired on him, and the domovik appears to be in almost complete control of Roman’s psyche. For the majority of this issue, as with the last three, the domovik is an offscreen threat, and now that we know what it’s capable of, that threat is palpable.

Douek entertains with a few Eastern European absurdities in this issue to help lighten the mood until the final pop. There’s the “hunting lodge” that turns out to be a guard post, and those men seem just as trapped in the unending wilderness as Roman and Sergei. Earlier, there’s the broad and crushing expanse of white that’s haunted the men ever since they set foot outside of the camp. And, we finally learn what joke got Roman stuck in the camp in the first place in a brief moment of light, warmth and respite before it all comes crashing down. Russian humor is very much in the camp of gallows humor, and Douek understands how to time that humor for maximum impact.

Roman’s interesting as a protagonist because he lacks quite a bit of drive but isn’t necessarily a bad person. He’s superstitious, yes, but neither is he so timid that he doesn’t risk flexing his intellect to make the infamous joke. He’s often off-balance with Grigori and Sergei, but not so much so that we come to despise him for his lack of agency. Douek toes a fine line with this everyman protagonist, and succeeds because Roman possesses the correct level of sympathy and tension. We want him to be better, somehow – faster, stronger, more powerful – but when we see how other characters who act that way are rewarded, Roman’s instinct to blend into the background seems justified, if not admirable.

Cormack’s art continues to impress. With just the jacket colors and a few subtle facial details to distinguish between Roman and Sergei, it’s intentionally difficult to determine who’s who in this book. It’s easier in some ways now that what’s left of Grigori is slung over their shoulders in a provisions pack, but Cormack gives each man a progressively hunted and crazed look that helps amplify the despair and dark hilarity Douek constructs. Their eyes are bloodshot, wide and quavering as they take in the endless snow and find their hopes dashed when they reach the guard post. That look reaches its plot zenith at the end, when the domovik reappears for its final feat of brutality.

The 9-panel grids remain a bit of an issue. Douek and Cormack populate the book with smaller panels and strips that stretch and amplify story tension elsewhere to better effect. It’s difficult to do this conceit well and it’s done far too often in comics these days. Douek’s scripting is strong enough without the instantly recognizable structure, but Cormack does understand how to pressurize a moment on the page so they’re not unsuccessful. Rather, in such a claustrophobic, desperate and final stretch of a horror book, it’s a simple question of necessity, and in “Road of Bones” they’re not really needed to get the point across. However, the team uses the final instance quite well in the scene detailing Roman’s joke.

Cormack’s color palette is subtle and very good, as usual. He goes spare with sunset hues – spare enough that when they do splash across the wintry backgrounds we’re compelled to stop and take them in, much as Roman and Sergei search for any hint of respite in the unending winter landscape. The uniforms of the soldiers at the outpost appear almost rich and luxurious, picked out in grey as they are, compared to the choking natural blues and whites of the rest of the book. The grim promise of the cave is livened up by the cheery fire, though we find that Douek and Cormack are having us on soon after. All the better to observe graphic detail, and Cormack doesn’t stint on the red.

Birch’s font is a good choice for this book, and with less dialogue in this final issue, it shines as a folksy, soft note in an otherwise harsh landscape. The book doesn’t feature too many sound effects, which is a smart choice in a few ways. One, “Road of Bones” has a pretty serious tone, and comic book-esque styling could potentially take away from the drama. Two, the snow’s meant to be utterly oppressive, and eliminating sound effects further isolates the characters in their narrative and natural hell. Overall, Birch’s work has been clear and effective across several locations both densely and sparsely populated, and the book’s a complete package as a result.

“Road of Bones” ends how we hope it will end and cements itself into horror canon with its blend of grim Russian ethos and grindhouse melodrama. Is the domovik real? I’m so pleased to report that I still can’t answer that question, and that’s the best possible way to leave the threat lingering long after we’ve closed the book.

We might be done with “Road of Bones,”, but “Road of Bones” might not be done with us.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – “Road of Bones” #4 nails its final note with brutal efficiency, craft and grim humor.