By Laramie Martinez

Abe gets his Mrs. Dalloway on and throws a dinner party! Gail makes a bold accessory choice! And someone gets a whole new look! But all joking aside, this is another great issue. I don’t know why you’re even reading this. Have you missed reviews 1-3? You can’t still be on the fence, can you? Why haven’t you bought this comic? Are you waiting for the trade? Cause that’s cool. I can respect that. 

There is a lot going on in this issue, almost too much. But once again Jeff Lemire manages to pull another amazing feat of narrative plate spinning. In keeping with the style that we’ve seen in previous installments, this issue focuses on Abraham Slams origins. Like the other members of the family, it feels like a golden age origin with a twist. Definitely the most granola of the bunch, but look at him and look at everyone else, of course his origin is going to be the least dramatic. He’s the washed up old man of the bunch. Not to say that his origin is boring, there’s a lot of unpacking there. But as we’ve seen so far, Abe is really just the backbone of the group, the “good guy” in a team of heroes.

However, Abe’s origins are only part of the story. Lemire also interweaves Abe’s dinner with Tammy Trueheart and the rest of the family (minus the ones who are too weird to be seen). You can feel each of the characters’ issues rise up amongst the dialogue and there is a surprise at the end. Actually, there are multiple surprises, with the final page alluding to another plot thread we haven’t seen in a while.

Ormston and Steward have proven time and time again that they can handle the big flashy sequences as well as the small intimate moments between characters. This issue is probably the greatest showcase of those two strengths, with Abraham Slam’s origin providing some great pulpy action sequences and the dinner party showcasing the little moments. I don’t know what else to say about this duo that I haven’t already said or has been said by others. They continue to make this comic a must read. 

That’s it for this issue. Again, if you haven’t picked this up already, please do. You’re missing out. Unless you’re waiting for that trade, in which case, stay strong. The time will come.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Dean Ormston
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics