Prairie Gods #4

Recap
The Broadacres Silver Mine explosion of 1877 and the vast treasure it supposedly buried is far more than a local legend. So many treasure hunters have died trying to find it that the old abandoned mine and its museum have been shut down. No one knows more about the treasure and the legend surrounding it than former tour guide Anna Dara. When a mysterious stranger makes her an offer she can't refuse, she agrees to take him down the mine. Unfortunately for her, the stranger is hiding dangerous secrets. Unfortunately for him, so is she.
Review
One issue, one story. Prairie Gods tells a self-contained story in each issue with each story centered in and around the town of Broadacres. The town isn’t for the faint of heart as seen in Prairie Gods #4 when the story takes a trip into the town’s old silver mine.
The Broadacres silver mine explodes in Prairie Gods #4’s opening pages. The issue’s inciting incident takes place in 1877 before the story jumps forward to Broadacres in present day. A man named Aldrich walks into a bar. He’s a treasure hunter who wants a guide to take him down into the old mine. He strikes up a conversation with Anna, the bartender. She owns the mine now that her father is dead. Her father took Aldrich into the mine once, but the expedition met with tragedy when one of Aldrich’s companions was killed, supposedly the result of a curse. But Aldrich still wants the treasure, and if he’s going to get it he needs Anna’s help.
Prairie Gods continues delivering effective self-contained but slightly adjacent stories with Prairie Gods #4. The opening three pages simultaneously kick off a new story while including a visual callback to previous issues. This balance remains one of the series’ charms. Rather than connect these stand-alone stories thematically, centering them in and around Broadacres helps build a world that is expansive while feeling full and detailed.
Prairie Gods #4 builds up a lot of atmosphere before reaching a surprise ending that blends multiple genres. Genre blending isn’t really unusual for the series. But in this case the out of left field ending somewhat undercuts the mood established leading up to it. There’s a great sense of urgency and curiosity right before the reveal which does work. Unfortunately the reveal doesn’t live up to that hype. It’s an intriguing idea, but not enough to fully pay of the tension developed on the way.
Leading up to the end reveal, though, Prairie Gods #4 expertly builds tension and moodiness. Volk’s dialogue at times has a fencing match kind of rhythm as Aldrich and Anna go back and forth. It’s obvious that neither character is saying quite what they mean, but the subtext is difficult if not impossible to decipher. This six page dialogue sequence between the issue’s two main characters is a nonstop tension builder. It continues when the two characters meet for the second time in advance of the issue’s climax.
Volk’s art in Prairie Gods #4 has a scratchy, rough edge to it. In a general sense this works for the western-feeling setting even though the story itself doesn’t have a particularly western feel to it. But the rough and liberal line work very successfully plays into building that tension between Aldrich and Anna during their initial discussion. In Aldrich’s case in particular, the art style emphasizes not just his age but the miles he’s put on. Aldrich’s appearance gives him a kind of strength in his ability to steadily lean on Anna to get his way.
Anna’s face isn’t nearly as lined or rugged as Aldrich’s–appropriate since she is clearly a younger character. One unfortunate byproduct is that in several panels her facial appearance doesn’t seem quite as consistent as Aldrich’s–as if there are fewer reference points to give her an exact look. However, this pays off in the final pages when Anna’s demeanor changes with the surprise reveal. Her face takes on a harder, more serious mien that is supported by a little extra detail that wasn’t there early in the issue.
Color choices throughout the issue are subdued except for a heavy blue coat that Aldrich wears. It’s bright, almost neon blue color stands out in every panel. It ensures that he is always the focal point. In an odd way the visual is at odds with the dialogue. The latter sets Aldrich up as the shadier, less trustworthy character while the former sets him up as the protagonist from a visual sense.
Dialogue makes Prairie Gods #4, and it forms the best part of the issue in Aldrich and Anna’s initial conversation. Those six pages are verbose. Carey does a good job organizing the dialogue bubbles to keep it flowing easily while not getting in the way of Volk’s art.
Final Thoughts
The issue’s surprise resolution doesn’t quite live up to the moody beginning built up by Volk’s dialogue which is full of complexity and sub-text. But this is a relatively minor critique and doesn’t take away from Prairie Gods #4 being another strong entry in the series.
Prairie Gods #4: A Dialogue Fencing Match
- Writing - 8.5/108.5/10
- Storyline - 7.5/107.5/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 7.5/107.5/10
- Cover Art - 7.5/107.5/10