CHARRED REMAINS #6, by Mad Cave Studios on 6/5/24, brings the supernatural suspense story to a close when Amy and Vic hatch a plan to snuff out the Fire Man for good.
Credits:
- Writer: Anthony Cleveland
- Artist: Andrea Mutti
- Colorist: Andrea Mutti
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Maan House
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Release Date: June 5, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of CHARRED REMAINS #6:
Plot Analysis:
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Anthony Cleveland brings his supernatural thriller about a demonic force of flame and the cult that follows it to a close with an urgent plan in Charred Remains #6.
Previously in Charred Remains #5, Amy was given a chance to “reunite” with her deceased parents if she agreed to become a member of the Fire Man’s cult. Meanwhile, Vic’s chief shows him how he coped with the nightmares caused by not saving everyone trapped in a fire by offering to make Vic a member of the Fire Man’s cult. Amy and Vic reject their respective offers and flee the underground cavern, running into Patricia Lefeu driving an ambulance.
In Charred Remains #6, Patricia gives Vic and Amy temporary refuge as a hurricane approaches New Orleans. Patricia explains that she used the Hope’s House charity to keep people away from the cult, but her father used the opportunity to make himself wealthy and powerful as an advocate for the cult’s hunger for more numbers.
Patricia believes the cult and the Fire Man can be destroyed by using the approaching hurricane floods to drown out the flames in the underground cavern. To make the plan work, Patricia needs blood to lure the Fire Man to a central spot, one of the Fire Man’s candles to ignite a supply of blood in the ambulance, and everyone to seal off and redirect the flood waters over the cavern entrance.
Vic returns to the spot where he hid one of the Fire Man’s candles, but the candle is gone. The only other place Vic knows a candle is stored is in the firehouse with his Chief. When Vic arrives at the firehouse, he finds most of his colleagues dead and the Chief waiting with the candle. A fight ensues that burns most of the building, the dead firemen and the Chief in the Fire Man’s living flame. Thankfully, Vic and Amy manage to get away with the candle.
Later, the heroic trio approaches the entrance to the cavern and parts ways for their respective task. Patricia leads Amy into the cavern under the ruse that Patricia has convinced Amy to join the cult. Outside, Vic drives the ambulance with a large supply of blood to the canal that runs over the Fire Man’s cavern.
When Patricia brings Amy before the cult, Patricia’s father is suspicious and directs the cult to throw Amy into the flame. Patricia tries to convince the cult that her father isn’t a true believer because he’s the only one profiting from the cult’s activities. The argument turns the cult against both Patricia’s father and Patricia, giving Amy a brief window to set off the supply of blood she carried with her.
Meanwhile, Vic crashes the ambulance into the canal overflow and sets off the blood, unleashing a storm in more ways than one.
Character Development:
Anthony Cleveland’s action-packed finale still leaves room for character updates on two fronts. First, Vic and Amy get a brief moment to acknowledge their shared goal of defeating the Fire Man and share some supportive words, strengthening their bond.
Second, Patricia Lefeu has the biggest character change when it turns out she’s an undercover hero, using her resources to secretly resist her father and the cult.
Artwork and Presentation:
Andrea Mutti is a master when it comes to facial acting and expressions of fear, shock, and horror. That said, Mutti’s watercolor style detracts from the climactic action sequences when several panels lose too much detail to discern what’s happening. Truly, there are a few panels we examined multiple times and still can’t figure out what we’re seeing.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
To pull off an action-packed finale that satisfies, the key ingredient is urgency. For his part, Cleveland keeps the pacing up, the scenes short, and the dialog to a minimum. In other words, CHARRED REMAINS #6 is a quick read, which is a positive.
Structurally, the conclusion makes sense. However, Cleveland was forced to take a few shortcuts to get to the finish line, most noticeably with Patricia Lefeu’s place in the story. Patricia has barely been a presence in this miniseries, hinting at some shadiness with Hope’s House, so Patricia’s sudden appearance at the end with complex exposition about who she really is, what she’s been doing (which we never saw), and her place in the narrative feels forced to make sense of a mystery that never fully developed.
Thematic Exploration:
The pervasive theme of this issue, and the series as a whole is good versus evil. Yes, there are hints at social aspects given New Orleans’s recent history, but at its core, this is a story about humanity battling crazy cultists who follow a demon.
Final Thoughts:
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CHARRED REMAINS #6 brings the supernatural miniseries to a close with lots of action, high urgency, nail-biting moments, and a reasonably satisfying conclusion. That said, the Hope’s House mystery is explained away without proper development, and the art loses clarity in a few spots.
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