Redcoat is one of the best new series from Ghost Machine, mixing fictional history, great art, and a scoundrel main character. Said scoundrel is named Simon Pure, but as he keeps reminding us, he’s anything but. In the fourth issue out this week, Simon is kidnapped by a cult that wants him dead. They seek revenge after he stole his immorality powers from Ben Franklin and have been after him for over a century. You best believe a century will make a cult very angry.
Redcoat #4 opens with Albert Einstein 16 days prior to the current timeline. Over six pages, we see his first days in America and how he was treated. It wasn’t good and these scenes are a long way of showing how he acquired a specific tool that’ll help him aid Simon. Unfortunately, it’s a long-winded way of showing a minor detail so it feels like a bit of a waste.
Meanwhile, Simon is very much in deep trouble. The cult has him and they let us know their big plan. It’s a pretty big cliche that these bad guys let him in on their plans, especially since there’s quite a bit more to do before they can kill him for good. This all leads to a scene set in the dark, lasting about two full pages with just word balloons to guide the reader.
There’s some serious, “You’re probably wondering how I got into this mess,” vibes here.
Credit: Image
Ultimately, this issue feels like a slow crawl to its big cliffhanger. That cliffhanger is a glorious double-page spread by Bryan Hitch, and that’s excellent. It’s epic, with a movie poster look that’ll have you gasping. Simon’s archnemesis appears to be a key figure in American history.
The art throughout is quite good, with a high level of detail and a good sense of storytelling. In one intense three-panel sequence, we see Simon run towards a door, a panel of a cult member grabbing an ax, and then chucking it in the third panel. The fourth panel reveals it missed but was thrown with such force that it’s wedged into the door. It’s a simple enough moment, but in half a page it shows Hitch’s ability to capture drama and action.
Redcoat #4 is a table-setting issue for sure, with a chunk of it way too decompressed. It’s a quick read, especially with the first six pages seemingly buffer to fill out its pages. Still, the lore and worldbuilding continue to be compelling enough to pick this one up.
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