The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery has been one of the more unique entries in the new Vertigo Line. Eschewing the horror and crime themes of the other titles, Brutal Dark has instead reversed the clock and given us a new take on the detective noir, albeit with a slightly supernatural spin. The Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips series has been a favorite of mine to review since the first issue, and while I’m sad to have hit the end point already, Peril of the Brutal Dark #6 is a gripping and entertaining finale to a story that wears its pulp influences with pride.
As The Brutal Dark continues their ritual with the Hammer of Hephaestus, our hero Ezra Cain is stuck outside of the zeppelin in a biplane. While not the best shot, he’s able to maneuver the plane well enough to get a few shots off at the massive aircraft until a wayward bullet loosens a harness and knocks his plane off course. As he plummets to the sea, he wonders if this means that the Brutal Dark’s plans have come to fruition. Little does he know that inside of the zeppelin, the Brutal Dark have their own issues at hand with a power they don’t understand and can’t control.
The ending of this story will definitely set off “comparison alerts” for fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I found that to be a part of the book’s charms. Condon and Phillips’ series has never been shy about showcasing Peril of the Brutal Dark‘s many influences, and the hubris of the Brutal Dark being their downfall makes for a fun and very on point ending fate for our enemies. I suppose there will be those that might be annoyed that Ezra Cain isn’t as “hands on” in the finale and destruction of the titular bad guys, but if they are, I’d prompt them to go back and check through the prior issues of the series and show me where Cain was ever a super confident badass fighter. He’s much more in the vein of “overconfident smart-ass” than “badass”, and the ending of the series works really well for the story Condon has scripted.
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Additionally, Peril of the Brutal Dark‘s final issue also brings back Sandy, Ezra’s on-again, off-again romantic lead who is seemingly back on the “pro” side of being with Ezra by issue’s end. Sandy starts off the issue and is used to great effect to achieve something very specific in Condon’s script: giving us a “man on the street” reaction to the insanity happening outside and more insight into Sandy’s character. It’s clear from the pages we spend with her that she’s someone who cares about the truth and importance of journalism, and within a few lines of dialogue she’s quickly become my favorite side character in the book that I hope we see more of in the future.
Jacob Phillips has long been Brutal Dark‘s secret weapon, and with this final issue we are truly given a lot to digest from him. Somehow Phillips is able to make a multi page sequence of Ezra flying around the zeppelin muttering to himself one of the most engaging and tense sequences in comics this year. Yet while it’s tense, there’s also a great sense of comedic timing from Phillips’ work here, as his well placed panel layouts make for some truly laugh out loud moments when Cain realizes what part of the aircraft he hit and how much work he has left to complete. Couple these moments with some really horrifying panels with the Brutal Dark and the growing power of the anvil, and you’ve got a great calling card for what Phillips can do with his art in a single issue.
As great as this issue is, The Peril of The Brutal Dark‘s finale does a feel a bit disjointed from the previous issues, almost as if you’re reading the finale in fast forward. But I feel that’s more due to the monthly release of the series and not Condon and Phillips’ pacing. When read all together in one go in a binge or as a graphic novel, I’m pretty confident the final result will read a lot better. Even with that slightly abrupt finale, The Peril of the Brutal Dark has been a great introductory adventure with Ezra Cain, and I can’t wait to see him again next year. Bring on The Terror of the Black Pyramid!
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