Advance Review: ‘Mine Is A Long, Lonesome Grave’ #3 Is Packed With Action
by Tom Smithyman
If you’re looking for a comic book loaded with action-packed gunfights, knife fights, and the occasional explosion, Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave #3 is definitely for you. That doesn’t mean it’s a great comic, though.
What it is, is a payoff of sorts for readers who have followed the tale of Harley Creed, the ex-con with a literal curse on his head. He has only days to live because his wife’s family has cast a fatal spell on him. After previously learning about the curse and dealing with some of the caster’s gang members, Harely is ready to take on the big bads themselves.
That means attacking Ezekiel in order to confront the Appalachian grandmother whom he believes cast the spell in the first place. That also means that Harley has a small army to go through.
While there’s plenty of talking between the opponents, Justin Jordan’s script is secondary here. It’s functions little more than a framing device for all the action, depicted by Maan House, who takes over for Chris Shehan. Shehan’s artwork in the two previous issues was impactful. House’s is good but oftentimes confusing.
Battles of this kind can be difficult to depict. In this case, it is even more difficult to decipher. Both Harley and Ezekiel are bearded white guys. Even set against Alessandro Santoro’s vivid monochromatic color schemes, it’s difficult to know who is shooting or stabbing who. And that seriously blunts the impact of what could be a stronger chapter in this story. And Jordan doesn’t help distinguish the two men during the throes of battle.
Still, the story and artwork are strong enough for loyal readers to want to follow the tale through to its next, final issue. Hopefully it will be a bit more straightforward and easy to understand.
Mine Is a Long, Lonesome Grave #3 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, April 16th from Oni Press.
Overview
Don’t look for much story in this issue. Instead, it’s a fight to the near finish. That would be fine if the creative team did a better job of keeping things understandable. Instead, too much of the battle is convoluted and not understandable. This takes the fog of war to the wrong level.
