Advance Review: The Worm Turns In ‘Plush’ #5

Much like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the granddaddy of them all Psycho, Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard actually shy away from the usual blood, guts and gore formula of horror in favour of shining a spotlight on the aftermath instead. And they leaving their readership to fill in the gruesome details as they see fit. And so we get close-up shots of the severed heads of Sheriff Brottman’s men as our hapless hero, Devin, is brought to justice by the corrupt cops and surrounded by the corpses of other dead cops. Quite the spectacle. 

Meanwhile, our furry, freaky friends are under the supposition that Devin has done a runner, unaware he is rotting way in a jail cell while Brottman takes his remaining men out hunting. 

As the penultimate issue of this twisted love-story, the stakes are high as are the emotions. No-one reading this comic is not rooting for Devin by now and readers will not be disappointed. Add to this a classic horror trope so well sued in such films as Halloween, but with multiple persons of interest here, adds to a growing sense of foreboding that cannot bode well for Brottman and company. 

Hillyard’s crisp artwork and Rico Renzi’s tonally appropriate colours work in unison to present the spacious family home for the furries as a dark and dangerous space. Hillyard’s deft depiction of the emotive range presented in this issue cannot be understated. We sympathise with some, while wishing the worse for others. And their emotional responses to the unfolding events help prod the reader into making these connections with characters who, let’s face it, are stone-cold killers. 

An emotional, engaging penultimate issue that draws you in with the hopes of the reader being fully realised by the last page. 

Plush #5 is out Wednesday from Image Comics