Postal #5

By Matt Hawkins, Bryan Hill, Isaac Goodhart and Betsy Gonia

It’s hard to come up with an original story that is consistently good. Even though it’s only five issues in, Postal has all the makings to be a great tale. There is something fresh with the way it’s written and the fact that the main character has asperger’s adds to the originality of the series. As we reach the end of the first arc, we can’t help be feel thoroughly entertained with where the series has taken us so far.

This was a slower issue than the others in the series, but it is necessary. Issue five deals with showing how far Mark has come since we first met him. Bryan Hill and Matt Hawkins have done a good job of building Mark up in the introductory issues that this feels like a natural progression. Their attention to detail is excellent and the fact that they focus on one thing, like wanting our masked man’s gun, adds to the richness of his character. We also see what Mark really wants deep down inside. It shouldn’t be too shocking, but Hill and Hawkins use tarot cards to reveal it. This was an issue that focused heavily on Mark’s thoughts and desires. Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill really dug deep into the character and gave the audience some more insight into his thought process. While this wasn’t as action packed as other issues, it offers a look at the inner workings of our main character, which is just as rewarding.

The pencils are handled by Isaac Goodhart with colors by Betsy Gonia. Isaac Goodhart really is a great artist; he turns in his work on time and it is top-notch. This issue he is able to draw in a bit of a different style in a sequence where Mark is told a story. This is effective in distinguishing reality from Mark’s vision. The beginning of the book is drawn very clean, which we’ve all come to expect from Goodhart. As Mark gets pulled into a mysterious building with people wearing masks, the art gets dirtier. We see some hatching and cross hatching, which adds to the mystery of the issue. Betsy Gonia does another fantastic job on the colors. Her dark colors in the mystery house scenes add so much depth to an already eerie scene. This art team continues to excel on this title with each passing issue.

It’s gotten to the point where reviews aren’t even necessary for this book because it’s so consistently good. Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill continue to craft an intriguing tale that captivates readers every month. The art team is outstanding and depicts so much beauty in such a dark and twisted tale. Postal is one of the best books on the shelf.