"Redneck #10" Comic Review

Written by James Ferguson

Published by Image Comics / Skybound

redneck 10 00

Written by Donny Cates
Illustrated by Lisandro Estherren
Colored by Dee Cunniffe
2018, 32 Pages, $3.99
Comic released on February 28th, 2018

Review:

Phil, one of the human familiars of the vampire Bowman family, has been picked up by the feds. He tells the agent straight about the existence of the bloodsucking clan and is met with sarcasm and disbelief, as expected. Redneck #10 reveals Phil's connection to the Bowmans as well as that of his silent partner, Evil. How could two human men get wrapped up in service to a family of vampires?

As with Redneck #4, this is a fantastic flashback issue. Phil's tales of the past are interspersed with pieces from the present. Evil is working to rescue the Bowmans, who have been captured by Landry and his newly formed vampire clan. This works so well because there are pieces where Phil reveals something about a character, particularly Evil, that play out immediately. If you didn't have that piece of information, you wouldn't have understood or appreciated the scene in the present.

Click images to enlarge

Delving into the backstory of a few characters is no easy task. It often comes across like a history lesson, with big blocks of text. Writer Donny Cates finds a nice flow to this that makes each tidbit all the more intriguing. The comic reminded me that there's still a lot we don't know about these characters and when we do find out something, it's usually a pretty big deal.

There are a number of powerful moments throughout Redneck #10. Some are somber and heartbreaking. Others are jaw dropping and exhilarating. What I'm most impressed by is how some of them play with vampire lore in new and interesting ways. This challenges what we know about vampires and comes at them from a different angle.

Click image to enlarge

The real standout of this issue is Evil. Artist Lisandro Estherren draws him like a human killing machine. Since he can't physically speak, Evil talks with his body language. This is a strong, intelligent man who won't take any shit. The kind of situation he's found himself in is one where he flourishes. He is fully capable of taking down a group of people, even if they're vampires and holy crap, does he do it in an efficient and badass manner. I still have issues with how some of the characters and scenery are depicted, as they often look a little too flat or cartoony, but it's not enough to distract from the overall strength of the comic.

Redneck is a fantastic read from beginning to end. It's a perfectly crafted comic that blends strong family drama with terrifying horror elements to produce one of the best books on the stands today. It's so friggin' good.

Grades:

Story: fivestars Cover
Buy from Amazon US
Cover
Buy from Amazon UK
Cover
Art: fourstars
Overall: 5 Star Rating

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James Ferguson
Lord of the Funny Books
James has a 2nd grade reading level and, as a result, only reads books with pictures. Horror is his 5th favorite genre right after romantic comedy and just before silent films. No one knows why he's here, but he won't leave.
Other articles by this writer

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