Writer Christa Faust and illustrator Mike Deodato Jr. score another remarkable issue in their crime drama Bad Mother, proving that all the recon work April did in the previous issue paid off tremendously. The latest entry wastes no time at all grabbing the reader’s attention as April confronts her daughter’s kidnapper on the very first page of the story. But is this a fight she can win? Or has she bitten off a lot more than she can chew?
With only one issue to go in this spectacular series, the stakes are raised and the intensity brought to another level in Bad Mother #4. In the first half of the book, readers are treated to a great exchange of dialogue between April and crime boss Ava, who has her daughter. It’s here that Faust finds a clever way of evening the odds between April and Ava by giving April a little leverage. This works beautifully, keeping the plot fresh and moving forward in a good direction.
Aside from that, the emotional build-up to get to this point of the story has been simply awesome, to say the least. Bad Mother #4 plays out less about a woman saving her child and more about showing the reader the lengths a mother is willing to go for her kid. It also manages to find subtle moments to talk about how important issues, like the #MeToo movement, high powered corrupt political figures, and how April has a mean swing with a frying pan. The only thing missing at this point is perhaps a killer soundtrack from someone like Trent Reznor.
As far as the art is concerned, Deodato Jr. does a superb job of handling a large amount of face to face interactions this go-round, helping to sell the seriousness of the characters. There’s a fight sequence that takes place that is executed lavishly, in part due to his good timing with the pacing. Overall, the imagery runs smoothly throughout the book.
Bad Mother #4 is a nice setup leading to the final issue. The story still feels fresh, entertaining, and unpredictable. There was a great usage of transitions, pacing, and well-executed action sequences.
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