Matt Lowder Reviews: GIDEON FALLS, Volume Four

Guest review by Matt Lowder of the Captain Blue Hen 10,000 Comics Pyramid on Facebook

GIDEON FALLS, VOLUME FOUR: THE PENTOCULUS (Image, July 2020) Collects GIDEON FALLS Issues #17-21. Matt Lowder's rating: FOUR STARS OUT OF A POSSIBLE FIVE STARS.

While I believe 16 issues is a bit long to set up such a wild house of cards, in the end, the gumbo tastes good. It's dinner time, and the bell has rung. We are definitely on the downswing of this thing, with two more volumes to go. (This ends with issue #27, which I'm very happy about). 

I was really confused with the previous volume's clarity of plot, but Volume Four is really the reason, in my opinion, to read all the previous issues. Some questions are answered, others are asked. A fat, crazy climax hits that feels like a natural midpoint to everything.

I have a much better idea of what this wild, wild brain scramble is going for. Jeff Lemire is a mad scientist with a word processor. And the continued creative use of paneling and space on the page with interesting tilted boxes, skewed frames, and rounded-edged double splash pages, make that feeling of confusion and madness quite strong. Shaky outlines, no outlines, deep black matte shading, hazy eyes and missing details, but also very meticulous and highlighted objects and moments. It's difficult to describe, but the art style is increasingly perfectly fitting. However, I do wish we had a little bit more information to go on by this point If you told me in Volume One we'd be doing all of this "duplicate dimension time pocket" with demon bug stuff, I would have never believed you. This was definitely a wild ride.

Small knock: There are literally multiple main characters in Issue #20 saying they don't know what to believe anymore and they don't understand what's going on. That's really true. All we can do is believe in Lemire's genius and intent by Issue #21 and trust him that he ties loose ends by the final pages. That's all. I relate to the main characters much of the time. Totally overwhelmed after months of reading Gideon Falls. But, yeah, like Black Hammer, I'm going along for the ride and will likely be happy.

Volume Four improved the series for me. It was a break point for me in my decision to continue. I will. There is enough disturbing, unsettling creativity here... it's worth the price of admission. Are you not entertained? Why, yes. Yes, I am. 4 out of 5 stars.