Well, if you’re a dog lover you’re probably not going to want to read this issue (the cover could probably tell you that). I found it a little ironic that artist Mike Norton’s online series is Battlepug and Lester’s dog Chuck has been taking over by a passenger and pukes up blood as it escapes and goes into Lester. Lester is strong though, and is able to get rid of the passenger. He claims “Not today” as Chuck lies on their deck, seemingly lifeless. We get another glimpse into the tension between Wayne Cypress and Edmund Holt. Wayne goes all the way out into the woods just to give Ed a fine for public defecation which is $200. Holt has a pretty funny reaction and calls out Wayne and says “You hanging off my asshole waiting for me to drop a turd?” Although the pun is funny, in this case it was literal as well. Holt than thanks Wayne for the ticket and claims he didn’t have anything to wipe when he ‘did his business’ on public land and proceeds to drop his pants as Wayne walks away disgusted. I wasn’t a fan of Edmund’s when we first met him due to his racism and hatred for Ibrahaim, but the more Wayne gets on his case, the more I find myself rooting for Ed. In this battle, I think we can chalk one up for Edmund. I don’t think that was the only reason the conflict was shown, however. We see some work going on underground below where Ed and Wayne were standing. I’m not sure what they’re doing, but I’m guessing that it will play a part in upcoming issues.
Dana finally tells Ibrahaim about Em’s whole situation. At first, Ibrahaim says he won’t help her and he has to report this case being that they’re on the RCAT. After seeing Dana’s infection from the broken shards of glass in her back and helping her with that however, he gives in and says he won’t tell Wayne.
Wayne gets a call from Mayor Dillisch, who asks Wayne and Dana to meet him at Town Hall. He mentions they’ve got “company,” which raises a lot questions. He also mentions that he’s sure they both have something they would like to get off their chests, and it’s clear that Mayor Dillisch has some dirty secrets. We also meet two new characters, Shane and Rhodney. Rhodney says everyone calls him Road Rash, and he seems to be a reviver. It’s been a while since we’ve been introduced to new characters, so I’m looking forward to how they play into the story.
This issue was a great set-up for #20 with a huge cliffhanger and the introduction of a few new characters. As usual this book continues to be one of my favorites, and I’m already looking forward to reading the next installment.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Tim Seeley Artist: Mike Norton Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 4/2/14 Format: Ongoing - Print/Digital