Josiah isn’t dead, but Mama Latimer is a weird monster thing and everything’s gone to hell. Goners #4 is hard to follow at times- must we always be so cryptic?- but there’s a lot of action and a decent amount of gore. If that’s your thing. Josiah spends some time in an in-between, a purgatory type of place. What is it really? Who knows, but his father is there. Does that mean Josiah is dead? No. Does that mean his father is not dead? No. Hmmm.
So, Josiah’s theoretically dead father is there to explain a couple of things, but in the most cryptic manner possible. The poor kid has to see his parents having sex so that his dad can explain that his mom is possessed or something. Talk about trauma. We move past that pretty quickly though, because who has time for trauma when there are skinwalkers, y’know, walking about? When Josiah makes it back to the land of the living, he’s on a mission. No time to stop and chat, no time to rejoice his not being dead. This kid Knows Things now.
Goners #4 is fast-paced and action-packed. No time to talk it out when the world needs saving. No time for meltdowns- ahem, Zoe- or self-doubt. We definitely feel the urgency. And then there’s the ending: another Goners cliff-hanger. Mama Latimer is looking good, and I really mean that. I’m way more hyped about the horned, winged, tentacle-lady than the skinwalker or the wargs, as cool as they are (I love skinwalkers, okay, that’s how badass Mama Latimer looks).
I’m so ready for the next issue; Mama Latimer is a tentacle creature and I absolutely need to know what happens next. #4 had me a little bored honestly; we’re moving quickly and yet there isn’t enough to hold my interest. But they’ve hooked me in again with this Mama Latimer business. That’s their trick: keeping us interested with these shock endings. I need a touch more plot to stay committed, but I’m so sold on these supernatural creatures and the action and all the dark, twisted bits holding this story together. It’s an action-heavy story, and the characters are rather weak, so if you’re looking for a character-driven narrative… well, if you haven’t dropped out yet, it’s probably about time. If you’re still here, you know what you’re getting into: it’s all blood and guts and ominous creatures in the shadows.
Score: 3/5
Writers: Jacob Semahn Artist: Jorge Corona Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 1/21/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital