Copperhead #5

Copperhead ends its first arc in spectacular, heart wrenching fashion. 

Writer: Jay Faerber
Artists: Scott Godlewski, Ron Riley
Publisher: Image
I haven’t tried to hide my love for this comic and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon, either. This team of creators flexes all of their muscles in this fifth issue, delivering a compelling and moving conclusion to the first arc that hints at great and, expansive things to come.

Faerber brings a tough first case for budding sheriff Clara Bronson to a sophisticated and ultimately, heart wrenchingly sad, end in a way that makes sense and changes some character dynamics in a surprising way for issues to come. It seems as if our heroine and Boo are warming to each other, developing at the very least a comedic and honest working relationship that again, perfectly highlights this writer’s understanding of character dynamics and progression.

Godlewski and Riley are a formidable team, too. I absolutely love that Clara is portrayed in different states of dress and style over time, too. Losing her armor when’s she in the station, hair down, is a minimal change, visually, but a massive change in tone that exemplifies that “alive” aspect that Godlewski and Riley are so good at portraying. No character: alien, artie, human or native, is bound to the way they’re first introduced to us, there’s room for change, and these artists absolutely excel at channeling that kind of authentic liveliness both in world and character design, it makes me excited for what’s to come.

The end of this first arc perfectly exemplifies everything I’ve liked about this comic from the very first issue. Copperhead is a place that could exist out there in the stars in the future, somewhere wildly different from the life on this planet we know now, but one that still has family, heartbreak, deceit and heroism. Maybe, that place already exists and these creators are merely telling that place’s stories to us. It seems that authentic, after all.