SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #5, by Image Comics on 7/31/24, escalates the body count when the conspiracy of murder gets out of hand, putting Twitch right where he doesn’t want to be.
Credits:
- Writer: Todd McFarlane, Jon Goff
- Artist: Szymon Kudranski
- Colorist: FCO Plascencia, Sheila Saldaña
- Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
- Cover Artist: Mirko Colak (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: July 31, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 28
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #5:
First Impressions:
On its face, the Sam and Twitch series has the potential to be a hard-edged crime thriller. All the pieces are there to get readers hooked month after month, but Sam and Twitch Case Files #5 suffers from the same problem that’s held the series back since the beginning, making this issue a tough sell.
Plot Analysis:
Sam and Twitch Case Files #5 begins with a press conference wherein Plainfield’s mayor lauds his police force for doing their duty “by the book” in the previous day’s shootout out in a drug den. Officially, the police are praised as heroes keeping Plainfield safe, but after the events of issue #4, readers know the shootout and subsequent deaths are anything but “by the book.”
Todd McFarlane and Jon Goff start the issue by turning up the revulsion knob to eleven. What’s a town to do when every police officer and official is corrupt to some degree? Further, the men at the heart of the killings don’t take kindly to the rosy picture painted by the media.
The issue flashes back to several weeks earlier where we see Bobby Lanskey running toward a lonely farmhouse where he meets up with the main killer. Lanskey has been working undercover at the drug den, and he’s taken a small amount of drugs to blend in. The killer isn’t pleased with Lanskey’s weakness, so he kills him on the spot. We now know the killer at the heart of this story is… Tressel.
Tressel’s face reveal should be the big wow moment of the series, and to some extent, it is. That said, the meandering plot and cavalcade of loosely connected characters result in an unfocused story, so the revelation about Tressel doesn’t hit as hard as it should.
Now, Twitch is eating supper with the police chief and fellow cops when the chief receives a private call. Lanskey’s decaying body was dug up and placed in his ex-girlfriend’s house (remember her from the first issue?). When the police arrived, they immediately called the chief, who ordered them to clean up the mess. The on-site police kill Bobby’s girlfriend and the man she was with to make it look like a murder-suicide, and they take Bobby’s body away.
The issue concludes with an unfriendly hug, an “Oh, No!” moment, and a call for help.
Overall, Sam and Twitch Case Files #5 is a relatively serviceable issue but the unfocused narrative detracts from the big reveal. However, the last-page call for help promises the next issue will live up to the title.
Artwork and Presentation:
The unfocused plot partly contributes to the weakness of the issue, and the art contributes to the other part. Szymon Kudranski’s art style isn’t necessarily terrible, but in scenes with heavy shadows or dark settings, characters become nearly indistinguishable from each other. You have to pay very close attention to the dialog to figure out who’s who, which pulls you out of the visual experience.
Further, Tom Orzechowski’s lettering choice to dispense with word balloons is turning out to be a detriment. There’s nothing wrong with stylistic choices, as long as they aren’t hard to read. Here, black fonts with barely-there white drop shadows make it hard to read, and that’s a no-no in any comic.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
If you’re new to this title and wonder what any of this comic has to do with Spawn, it doesn’t. Sam and Twitch Case Files looks at two of Spawn’s oldest side characters purely through the lens of their day-to-day job, so there isn’t a flowing cape or set of green glowing eyes anywhere in this issue.
Final Thoughts:
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SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #5 fills in the blanks surrounding the killer responsible for the web of lies and corruption in Plainfield. Sadly, the big reveal hits with as much force as a soft pillow. The gritty, moody art adds to the serious crime thriller aesthetic, but the lack of clarity in the darker scenes and a poor lettering choice take you out of the viewing experience.
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