Postal #1

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

Postal is the tale of the small town of Eden Wyoming, population 2,198. We get the narration from the local mailman, Mark, who has Asperger’s syndrome. From his viewpoint things are cut and dry, but not every town is Mayberry and you don’t need a disorder to see that Eden is a little off.

A first issue of a book is so crucial to its success; luckily in the case of Postal, Bryan Hill and Matt Hawkins crush this issue. The risk in giving the readers a protagonist with Asperger’s paid off very well and really makes the story very interesting, it’s a viewpoint not seen very often. The narration is also well done as we get a look into the mind of someone who doesn’t think like the regular man. Hill and Hawkins make it known very early that this is a small town, but it’s closer to something out of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery then the Bible. Each character introduced is well written and there is a certain level of care for them. We want to know about them and why the act the way they do. Hill and Hawkins have really laid out a dynamite first issue that will continue to intrigue.

The art work is handled by Isaac Goodhart with colors by Betsy Gonia. The pencils in this issue are excellent and the attention to detail is great as well. Goodhart shines as he draws countless rugged looking townies in Eden. Their faces are as odd and that really helps paint the picture of the town. Shading is very important this issue as well and Goodhart hits it out of the park and doesn’t over do it in any capacity. The colors by Betsy Gonia are outstanding too. She really adds nice tone to many of the panels and doesn’t muddy anything up. This was an awesome issue on every front.

Postal is a book that took me by surprise and really wowed me. The writing is incredibly interesting and well done. The art and colors are very fitting for the book and make it much more enjoyable. This is a book that needs to be read by anyone who likes good stories!