Dead Body Road #6 Review

Six issues with this property and it’s done. But should you even care to see how this journey wraps up? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

There’s a man digging a hole in the desert. Let’s see just how many bodies will fit. Orson Gage’s bloody revenge saga ends here.

It’s hard to close Dead Body Road #6 and not feel like you just punched in the gut. The main character has been on a quest with death on his mind and as we reach the end of this bloody but satisfying tale I can’t help but wish it could have lasted a bit longer. Still the creative team managed to deliver a fitting finish that may not rewrite the formula for this specific genre but it does amplify it.

Justin Jordan continues his hard-hitting but always compelling literary path. In a story about a protagonist that’s hell bent on delivering his own brand of justice there’s always an inescapable feeling of dread. The reason for that is the audience knows that there will be consequences for his actions and at some point he either redeems himself willingly or is forced to confront those demons. And when Orson Gage comes face to face with the fruits of his labor the author effortlessly crafts a fitting finish for him. Additional cast members get some attention in the closing moments but I honestly wished we could have had a few more pages to delve into their futures beyond this point.

If the text was not brisk and potent enough to garner your attention than the art by Matteo Scalera will get you to take a look inside this issue. It’s unique, to the say the least, as the illustrator employs a minimalist palette with just enough detail to give life to his quirky designs. It’s a highly stylized rendition that’s brought further into a hyper reality thanks to the efforts of colorist Moreno Dinisio.  The overall body of work is not revolutionary by any stretch, but it manages to embody a visual component that’s up to nearly any task set by the written word.

Dead Body Road #6 is fast read that never seeks to become more than what it is and that’s completely okay. Because in my book, as it stands, this was the right way to close out the piece as it easily earns a recommendation from me.