The Butcher of Paris #4
Recap
Paris has been liberated, but as the citizens rejoice, the killer's wave of terror begins to fade from the public eye-which means he has an opportunity to escape!
Meanwhile, the French police begin strive to oust the remaining Nazis inhabiting in city. Could there be one hiding in their own ranks?
Review
The Butcher of Paris continues to be a shockingly relevant and disturbing comic that more people really ought to be reading. As Phillips continues to uncover this seemingly lost moment in history, the narrative seems to be stranger than fiction. Much of the story up to this point fell squarly into the more standard stories of occupied France we have seen many times over the years (albeit with a serial killer), as we watch French Jews deal with Nazis in their homeland. Now, as we explore the cleanup, we get a glimpse into the psychology of a post-occupied nation that is rife with horrors.
While instinct would suggest that Petiot, The Butcher, still on the loose and in Paris post-occupation, would be the biggest horror the book would have to deal with, we see in the opening pages that national apathy is the true villain of the series. With the war ended, the public eye turns towards rooting out all Nazi sympathizers with little to no time or interest for the homegrown monster still hunting in their midst. There seem to be many parallels with the modern US in a way, as we explore what could cause a nation to accept certain outrages as the national consciousness is diverted towards other, “more important” threats.
Final Thoughts
The Butcher of Paris #4(Phillips, Kotz) explores terror and apathy through a historical lens that remains extremely relevant in modern day.
The Butcher of Paris #4: The Eternal France
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 9.5/109.5/10
- Color - 9.5/109.5/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10