SWEETIE: CANDY VIGILANTE #4, from Dynamite Comics on February 8th, 2023, begins Pixie Stix’s weapons training while Hansel & Gretel serve very important papers.
The Details
- Written by: Suzanne Cafiero
- Art by: Jeff Zornow
- Colors by: Antonio Fabella
- Letters by: D.C. Hopkins
- Cover art by: Jeff Zornow (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: February 8, 2023
Is It Good?
We’re four issues into this series, and as of the release of SWEETIE: CANDY VIGILANTE #4, it’s still not clear what in the Willy Wonka is going on. Things are happening, and characters are taking action, but most of the why’s and what for’s are completely absent, so you’re required to exhibit more than a little patience to keep going after this point. If the sweet, sweet novelty of Sweetie’s exploits is enough to keep you hooked, you’ll be good with this issue. For everyone else, all sweet and no substance just may send you headlong into a sugar crash.
When last we left Sweetie and her new employee, Pixie Stix, we learned a bit about the hardships that fule Sweetie’s revenge quest. Now, Pixie is given demonstrations of Pixie’s unique weaponry in preparation for her first assignment – running the Ice Cream Bunny.
Why? Who knows, and that’s the problem. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to what Sweetie does, so the reader is obliged to just go with it. The candy-themed weapons Sweetie demonstrates are creative, but they serve no special purpose. Sweetie never explains why she wants the Ice Cream Bunny, and Pixie (acting as the reader surrogate) goes along with everything without the slightest bit of hesitation or concern. A reader surrogate doesn’t work if they don’t act, react, and question as a typical reader would, so Pixie falls short in her role.
Ultimately, this issue is fine in that it’s consistent with the previous issues, but it severely lacks clarity and direction. So, if you liked the previous issues, you’ll like this one. If you think the series, so far, is scattered and confusing, this issue is more of the same.
In fairness, Zornow’s art style, combined with Fabella’s colors, is a lot of fun. The figure work is rock solid (even the talking Christmas tree looks good), the colors pop louder than a mouthful of Pop Rocks and Coca-Cola, and the action is surprisingly gory. This is an odd case of weird art positively matching a weird story.
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]
Check out our SWEETIE: CANDY VIGILANTE #3 review to find out Sweetie’s origins (sorta).
We begin with Pixie Stix getting a grand tour of Sweetie’s weapons lab. Pixie samples strange elixirs that don’t have an apparent purpose, tries out weird guns, and learns more about her new status quo as Sweeetie’s latest recruit.
Elsewhere, Hansel & Gretel pay a visit to the “former” owner of the Ice Cream Bunny bar and strip club. Sweetie wants the establishment for herself, and the biker duo makes sure Skurvy signs it over, whether he wants to or not.
We conclude the issue with a new assignment, redecorating, and Skurvy’s boss taking notice.
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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SWEETIE: CANDY VIGILANTE #4 brings Pixie Stix deeper into Sweetie’s organization as part of Sweetie’s plan to do… something. The art is eye-popping vibrant, and the weird scenes are captivating, but it’s not clear what’s going on, what Sweetie is up to, or why. After four issues, we shouldn’t still be asking “What’s going on?”.
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