SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #6, by Image Comics on 9/18/24, draws Twitch dangerously close to the heart of the Plainfield conspiracy, but will a betrayal force him into a corner?
Credits:
- Writer: Todd McFarlane, Jon Goff
- Artist: Szymon Kudranski
- Colorist: FCO Plascencia, Sheila Saldaña
- Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
- Cover Artist: Mark Spears (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: September 18, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 24
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #6:
First Impressions:
I’ll be as honest as I can be and say I’m still not sure I understand what’s happening in this series. Sam and Twitch Case Files #6 does a fine job of amping up the atmosphere of danger and paranoia, but the structure of the conspiracy is sketchy at best.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Twitch in Sam and Twitch Case files #5, the conspiracy of a murder in a small town began to spiral, and the corrupt police force decided to use Twitch as the scapegoat for its latest victim. The issue ended with Twitch making a call to his old partner for help.
In Sam and Twitch Case Files #6, Sam considers the harsh words exchanged the last time he saw Twitch. Sam knows deep down that he’s a slob and a mess-up, so he takes what small steps he can to get his life in order, with less than stellar results.
Todd McFarlane and Jon Goff give Sam a rare moment of self-awareness to recognize his life is a mess, and it took Twitch’s leave of absence to recognize it. Character growth is almost always a good thing, so the issue starts strong.
In Plainfield, Twitch patiently waits in his hotel room as he considers the events of the last few days. After replaying all the ins and outs, he knows Tressel lifted his gun, which puts him in a bad spot to be framed for any number of violent crimes. Suddenly, his cell phone rings with an incoming call from Rellis. Twitch ignores it. Then, the room phone rings, so Twitch picks up and hears Tressel ask to meet at a crime scene.
Twitch’s lonely wait in his hotel room is a prime example of “waiting for the shoe to drop.” Twitch knows something stinks. He knows Tressel is not acting honestly, and in a town with unsolved murders, he knows any interaction could be a setup or worse. Every call escalates a feeling of paranoia.
Twitch heads to Tressel’s location and finds the murder scene from the last issue. Lanskey is dead, as is his former girlfriend and her current lover. Twitch immediately recognizes that the supposed murder/suicide doesn’t add up, given the state of the bodies and the means of death, so Twitch immediately announces the arrest of everyone present. Tressel calls for calm. As a gesture of peace, gives Twitch his gun back, explaining he lifted it to show Twitch he isn’t paying attention.
McFarlane and Goff cleverly lower Twitch’s paranoia about Tressel but keep him on a watchlist. When the two speak privately, Tressel underscores how he’s made questionable choices to keep the peace, but he needs Twitch’s help to find the serial killer.
The issue ends with a switched note, an angry phone call, and a betrayal made out of desperation, or is it coercion?
Overall, Sam and Twitch Case Files #6 swells with a paranoid atmosphere and a palpable sense of danger that Twitch could be framed or murdered at any moment. What’s lacking? There’s not a single as to the nature of the serial killer, the reason for the conspiracy, or why any of this is happening in a small town. The mood is right, but the foundation is lacking.
Artwork and Presentation:
Szymon Kudranski’s art style is partly responsible for the success of the moody, tense atmosphere and a palpable sense of danger. Kudranski’s grounded, semi-realistic style captures the worn-out visuals of Sam’s depression and Twitch’s hair-trigger awareness of his surroundings.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Since Sam and Twitch started as characters in a Spawn comic, new readers may wonder how this series connects to Spawn. In short, it doesn’t. Twitch is pursuing a gruesome murder mystery, but there isn’t a single supernatural event so far that ties to Spawn.
Final Thoughts:
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SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #6 ratchets up the simmering sense of paranoia and danger as Twitch realizes the corruption in Plainfield covers for a serial killer, and he either needs to join in or become its next victim. McFarlane and Goff successfully build an atmosphere of tension tight enough to pop, and Kudranski’s grounded art suits the story perfectly. That said, the details of the how and why of the conspiracy are still a complete mystery, so the series has abandoned intrigue in favor of frustration.
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