Postal #16
Writer: Bryan Hill
Artist: Isaac Goodhart
Colors: K. Michael Russell
Letters: Troy Peteri
Publisher: Top Cow
Reviewed by David Hildebrand
The die has been cast! The war is on between the Aryan Brotherhood and the people of Eden. The situation has been built up, the tension has been mounting, and now here we are at the final climax of this latest arc from Bryan Hill and Isaac Goodhart in Postal #16. And as always, the end of issue leaves you crying out for more! It’s going to be a long wait from now til January!
Postal #16 starts out with Mark conversing with his mother, Laura. She has been taken to a safe and secluded place while Mark plans his attack on the Aryan Brotherhood. She objects to staying away from Eden, but Mark insists. Laura tells Mark that he is not a killer. Mark agrees that he is not, but he can lead killers and he can win the war. The exchange between Mark and his mother is exceptional. Hill continues to add depth to each of them and it is satisfying to watch them grow. Laura explains that the group are like Chess pieces. Rowan and Curtis are the pawns, Maggie is the Queen, but Mark is the King and the King needs to survive, even if that means he has to sacrifice the Queen. It is a pretty powerful moment between the pair as Mark must face reality that his mother is asking for him not be afraid to sacrifice the one he loves, Maggie, for the greater good.
As much as I want to talk about this book, I can’t go much more into it without spoiling something. The rest of the issue is just as amazing as the final showdown takes place. Rowan and Curtis, despite Rowan’s past make a very good team. Rowan says to forget the past for the moment, this night they are brothers until Abner is dead. Rowan continues to make strides in moving forward from his past. The moments between Rowan and Curtis are another shining moment in the story as Rowan is still showing progression in leaving his past behind. Maggie is the surprise of the issue and had me cheering for her all the way. And at the end, just when we think we know who Mark is, he surprises us again. Did I mention that long wait til January???
Verdict:
Buy it!!! Hill has never let me down with any issue of Postal so far. He tells a strong story with very dynamic characters and makes you pull for the bad guys! Goodhart’s art continues to be solid with his character design and action scenes. The scenes in this issue were kinda short, but very much to the point and left an exclamation mark on the story! There is nothing disappointing in this book between the script, art, and colors. If you haven’t jumped on the Postal train yet, you have between now and January to catch up. Read this title, it is easily in my top 3 of the year!
