[Comic Book Review] LODGER #4 from IDW Publishing's Black Crown Imprint

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[Comic Book Review] LODGER #4 from IDW Publishing’s Black Crown Imprint

Adrian Care

April 2, 2019

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PopCultHQ received an advanced review copy of LODGER #4 from IDW Publishing‘s Black Crown imprint. Available April 3rd, 2019, the creative team for this issue features writing from David Lapham & Maria Lapham, and illustrations from David Lapham.

Here’s PopCultHQ’s Spoiler-Free Review of…

Lodger #4

Writers: David Lapham & Maria Lapham

Artist: David Lapham

Cover Artist: David Lapham

B&W • 32 pages • $3.99

The line between hunter and hunted gets blurred when the Lodger gives into temptation. And out on the open road, Ricky and Golddigger close in for the kill.

PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
LODGER #4

The Lodgers web gets deeper as all the players inch closer and an ominous sense of violent finality cast a shadow over everything.

Writing:

Yes, this is a crime comic from the genius’ behind Stray Bullets. Nobody writes this stuff better, and Lodger displays that level of excellence yet again. But if it’s even possible to do so, Lodger has a sharper edge than the interwoven mayhem of Stray Bullets. Maybe it’s a result of being under the Black Crown label that takes the work to this darker place.

There’s a deep complexity to the storytelling, yet the story is tightly written. There’s no fat on it. It’s more brutal, bloody, violent, and uncompromising than Stray Bullets. Yet it feels authentic. As if it were a confession. There is so much truth and earnestness in the characters’ voices that you can hear the pain with which they speak. The coldness of their isolation. This is writing on another level. Fly on the wall stuff. A peek under the invisible veil of seemingly normal folk forever being scarred by what you learn.

There are unsettling moments throughout this issue that assault you on every sensory level. It’s an emotional death ride, but it’s also a small story about people driven by hurt. I’ve not read a single issue where things come together and click so well in a long time. I’ve not read a comic book that is written so well that I genuinely felt the characters experience…I’ve never read a comic like this before.

Art:

David Lapham has his own style. It doesn’t evolve or stem from any trend. He draws the way he writes. It’s honest and it doesn’t shy away from that. It’s simple because there is no BS about his stories. The vision and great working relationship with Maria Lapham are realized so perfectly by images that separating writing and art almost feels like a disservice. They are one living, breathing thing. Just as the words convey the emotion and authenticity of the characters, the art excels at placing the reader deep within the environment of the story. You feel the discomfort, the combustion, the anger rising from the underbelly of the streets and behind closed doors.

PopCultHQ’s Overall Assessment:

An unflinching climax. Lodger has been a slow burn in parts, and connects like a sledgehammer to the guts in others. The Laphams grab you by the throat and force you to ride shotgun as events take turns, things get darker and people get hurt. Don’t just wait for the trade. Whether you just like crime comics or appreciate brilliant storytelling, it’s not too late to grab all the previous issues (and this one) and read them with feverish anticipation of next issue’s finale.