LEAD CITY #3, from Red 5 Comics on May 25th, 2022, thins out the contestants as the kills come fast and furious in a town designed to only see one killer left standing.
The Details
- Written By: Eric Borden
- Art By: Kyle Brummond
- Colors By: Kyle Brummond
- Letters By: Kyle Brummond
- Cover Art By: Kyle Brummond
- Cover Price: $3.95
- Release Date: May 25, 2022
Was It Good?
True to its word, LEAD CITY #3 pits all the cast of combatants against each other in multiple battles. Thre isn’t much story here. It isn’t needed. But what you get in return is raw, mean, nasty killing action as the worst killers West of the Mississippi fight for their lives and a cool cash prize at the end.
Truly, there is no story. This entire issue is a series of cat-and-mouse scenarios between the eclectic array of characters as they try to outmaneuver, outshoot, outfight, and outwit each other. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, it’s darn entertaining.
Therefore, the lion’s share of weight to carry the issue falls on the art team’s ability to execute the choreography in a cinematic and engaging way. Do they deliver? Yes, and then some. The fight scenes are brutal. One scene involves a martial arts master using a Sheng Biao against a muscle man with more scar tissue than skin, and it’s glorious. Even the lettering deserves praise for the well-placed sound effects with everything from gunshots to knives striking wood.
If you’re a fan of Old West shoot ’em ups starring Clint Eastwood, this one’s right up your alley.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you don’t recall who’s fighting or why, read our LEAD CITY #2 review.
We begin where we left off in the cliffhanger at the end of issue #2. Cooper had a contestant in his sight from a second-floor balcony, but he hesitates and loses the opportunity. He’s mocked for the miss by the Indian crouched behind nearby barrels. The two trade shots, and the Indian limps off injured as Cooper rushes down with his pistol.
Meanwhile, Big Man is readying his ammo in a dining hall when the martial arts master enters. The two engage in a brutal fight that ends unpredictably. Elsewhere, Cooper follows a trail of blood to another saloon where a dying combatant is weakly tapping away at the piano.
We conclude the issue with a parting gift, a different kind of thirst, and two for the price of one.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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LEAD CITY #3 is a thrilling issue that does exactly what the previous issue promised it would do – engage the reader with a string of tense action scenes set in the Old West. The sparse dialog lands perfectly, and the battle whittles down the headcount appreciably. That said, the biggest praise belongs to the art team for carrying the issue by pumping in a steady stream of anxiety-riddled adrenaline on every page.
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