Father’s Day #4 Review

Father’s Day #4 is the final issue in this mini-series and almost no one is getting out alive. Is it worth a buy?

The official description from Dark Horse:

Silas Smith may have renounced his life of violence, but his life of violence never renounced him. And now, with his long-estranged daughter held hostage by his former mob employers to ensure his return, Silas plans to give them exactly what they want-and everything they deserve!

Father’s Day has been a bloodbath but what would you expect from a mob-centric story with a main character nicknamed the “Eastside Butcher?” But while this book has been a straight-up mob hit action thriller, writer Mike Richardson has tried to make is something more. By injecting the long-lost daughter searching for the father who abandoned her the wheels come off this estranged reunion quicker than a bullet to the head.

Issue #4 maintains the mob violence and while Silas has given up his violent ways, this final issue challenges his resolve to a breaking point. Even though he is a former mob hitman, in reality, Richardson writes him as simply a father protecting his daughter at all costs. He’s a man willing to sacrifice himself but the mob and his daughter won’t make it that easy. This issue wraps up the story in a neat, yet bloody, bow while dangling the carrot of mystery that his daughter Denise is much more than meets the eye. She’s more than a chip of the old block but how did she get that way? Hopefully a new series will explore it further.

The art from Gabriel Guzman has been extremely consistent in it’s dark, rough lines and heavy shadows. It’s messy in many respects but it’s intentional and fits the tone of the book well. Guzman is great with the action and can get plenty graphic without overselling the gore factor. There’s a nice balance of grit without cramming violence down your throat. Guzman also has a nice touch for characters expressions which resonate with the reader.

In the end, if you like a visceral thriller that wastes no time getting to the action Father’s Day #4 is a keeper. It’s not complicated and supplies readers with plenty gangster angst and revenge but ends on a surprisingly upbeat note and the possibility of future issues. The interest in where the series can go from here is debatable but this initial four issues is solid entertainment and fun.