Wynonna Earp is not a great series. Let me get that out of the way. I’ve read every issue since it began and the level of writing and artwork are both pretty average. That being said I still have found it enjoyable. It has some corny elements and a campy humor with over the top violence. These are the things that have continued to entertain me in this latest issue. Wynonna and her team of agents from Black Badge Division of the U.S. Marshall’s are tackling a new supernatural threat. This time it’s zombies. Not the most creative monster of the week but I’ve come to expect it from this series. The action takes place in a Scottsdale, Arizona mall where virus infected humans have been barricaded along with their leader Dr. Phil...Winfrey. He actually looks like the real life southern self-help guru. Remember that corny humor I was talking about? As far as pop culture Dr. Phil is kind of a dated reference but it could’ve worked if his dialogue wasn’t so cliché. Another wasted opportunity to do something creative. Wynonna and company cut through the zombies while she and her newest partner Valdez do a decent amount of bickering. It’s interesting to see a tough female character challenged by another tough female character. This makes their bickering a little bit more interesting as they plot to stop the zombie virus from spreading and gut the threats they come against.

The problem here is when the series tries to inject some moral lesson for the reader. Wynonna decides not to kill zombified kids because she believes that they deserve hope and a future. This sentiment is repeated during the last pages in a kind of syrupy sweet exchange. I have nothing against positivity but the way the dialogue is written in the midst of such brutal action makes it impossible to take seriously. I’ve appreciated Wynonna Earp for knowing what genre it is and what its limits are. This is a Syfy channel show tie-in. It works way better when it doesn’t reach for depth that isn’t there.

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Wynonna Earp #4 Writer: Beau Smith Artist: Lora Innes Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/18/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital

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