Postal, Vol. 4

Postal (Collected Editions) #4

by Bryan Edward Hill, Isaac Goodhart (Contributor), Linda Šejić (Contributor)

Does everyone deserve redemption? As the FBI tightens its noose around Eden, Mark and his mother Laura must either choose to let one of their own suffer at the hands of revenge, or help him take a stand against his enemies...the Aryan Brotherhood.

Collects issues 13 through 16.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Mystery, Comic Book, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Paperback

Published December 20, 2016

About the author

Bryan Hill is a screenwriter, photographer, tv writer, and director. He is known for his work on the DC show TITANS and for his work in comics, most notably his outings on DETECTIVE COMICS, POSTAL, AMERICAN CARNAGE, KILLMONGER and ANGEL.
His writing is infused with esoteric principles, which can also be found in his photography and music.
He lives and works in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume takes an aside from the main overall plot to advance a story straight out of American History X. One of the citizens of Eden, an ex-member of the Aryan Brotherhood, has been located by the Brotherhood and they want revenge. The mayor and a few townspeople pitch in to help him out. I felt like they could have spent a bit more time fleshing this out for another issue or two. There's a lot of set up and then the end feels a bit rushed.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn this volume was super entertaining.

So a Ex-KKK member leaves the group. He doesn't want sorrow or thanks, he wants to kill every KKK member there is. He single handy fucks them up and it makes me so happy. It's great to see a character who does not look for forgiveness but rather use his body to amend his sins by murdering more useless fucks. The ending is also pretty awesome.

I love the character growth of a lot of characters. This story started off little wonky but as you get to know these characters they keep getting better and better. Also the new colorist is great and gives this really grim feeling.

The only negative it doesn't feel like it's moving the main plot forward too much. It kind of feels almost like a side story. Still that's the only negative. Art, character growth, and epic moments all come together in this title.

[Sooraya Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an intense opening sequence.
And the overall tone here is a whole lot different from the previous three volumes.
"No one avenges the expendable." I personally love this quote from the Mayor (issue 14).
Best of all, that final showdown at the post office rocks!

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume deals with white supremacists. There's a fine line that needs to be walked, and this book doesn't quite pull it off perfectly, but definitely should get recognized for trying to be nuanced about it. A former white supremacist is tracked down by his former allies. And Eden decides to fight back. The logic behind why they do this isn't particularly well thought out, but the actions they take once the initial decision is made are fairly logical. Mark is the strategizer, while Maggie and another citizen join the defense.
All the build-up is let down by a fairly disappointing climax that, while strategically well played, belies the 'importance' of the story. And one of Mark's decisions is strange and seems more to further the next volume's story than to really build the current one.
If you're enjoying Postal, this volume serves the narrative well. But it doesn't play out quite as well as I would have hoped.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we have the first proper threat from outside Eden. Laura is determined to protect Eden with everything at her disposal, mainly Mark who is the brains behind their strategy and Molly who is acting more and more like a female Hannibal Lecter.

A neo-nazi-looking Rowan gets a package in the mail with his brother's severed head. The one responsible is Abner from Rowan's past in the Aryan Brotherhood. Abner's first attempt to kill Rowan fails, in part thanks to Laura. They are getting ready to face Abner himself.

Mark gets Molly's help and Laura gets Schultz's, together with information regarding Bremble. Laura gets Schultz to hit one of Abner's bases where he has over $1 million worth of drugs. Mark sends him the invitation to get the drugs back personally. Abner and his right-hand man Carpenter barely ever stood a chance.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aryan brotherhood find an ex member is hiding out in Eden. Still pretty good, my only issue with this series is that arcs are completed within 4 issues, could have been 5-6 issue arcs. As the story clule have worked better with a little more story.

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

My God. Postal gets better and the depiction of white supremacy is so incisive and engrossing.

[Teena Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Postal has been my book of the year. It's constantly surprising, has kept up the gripping story and the characters have grown. The art is always so good too!
My fav comic series this year!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Postal just so happens to be the series that I can't wait to read the next installment of. Each volume literally gets better and drives the story in a different, inclining direction. Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill are genius' as far as I am concerned.

In this issue you see a rise of white supremacy - but there are heroes and anti-heroes you wouldn't expect. They come out of the 'wood work' and completely dominate the storyline, showing you that unity and overcoming mental obstacles is possible even in the reddest of hate. The art is still superb and dark - just like the material in the pages.

This is a very character driven volume that utilizes the growth you'd expect but don't necessarily need to have at this point. However, this growth works to the story's advantage because it shows Mark in a new light (he definitely has the potential to be as strong as his mother, if not stronger). He has taken small strides on the strength scale since the very first chapter and in this volume he truly steps into his own.

The concentration on the Aryan Brotherhood fits well with the overall premise of Postal so this storyline is perfect - it's action packed with plenty of violence that will leave you satisfied with entertainment.

Things wrap up and come together in the end in such a way that you think Postal could be starting to switch hands in terms of power but then you get a cliffhanger in the end. Mark has professed his love for one in previous volumes but that affection seems to be switching to someone else… just when that professed love of his starts to return his feelings. It's dramatic elements like this that help the story feel real.

It's like a really great show that I can't stop binging and I am going POSTAL waiting for the next episode (or volume) !

[Zedsdead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, single-story volume. Isaac is again absent except for a brief flashback.

Hawkins and Hill really unload on the white power movement, depicting it at length and in loving detail. And hey, it's a fun group to see splattered across a warehouse wall...but it's not much of a story, especially after the unexpected direction volume 3's danger came from. A number of details don't make sense.

At least it's not boring.

Plot points:
--Rowan, the massive skinhead who moved to Eden in v1, receives his brother's severed head in the mail. While in prison he repented of his Nazism and assaulted an Aryan Brotherhood capo. They eventually tracked him to Eden. (How? And why do they talk about needing to find Rowan AFTER having already sent him his brother's head?)
--Laura decides to fight. She gets Schultz to steal a heroin shipment from the Nazis and instructs their leader to show up in person to claim it. (Why did he show up at all after acknowledging it was a trap? And why with only one henchman??)
--Mark, Rowan, Curtis, and Maggie kill him when he shows up. (The authors have spent four volumes setting Mark up as some kind of brilliant chessmaster and this absurdly simple plan is what he comes up with?)
--Mark visits Molly in her cage in the mine and tells her she's the only one who understands him. (Ew.)

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried that this series might be getting stale, but this entry renewed my interest. Short plot summary: A head is mailed to Eden, so the town leadership (basically all the main characters), have to help a former white supremacist deal with his past.
The artist did an interesting thing where they would blur the foreground or background to change the focus of a panel. It happened a couple times in this volume and I think it worked well. It feels a bit cinematic.

[Paolo Macri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting side story in the overarching mythos of Eden! involving a former white nationalist and him getting revenge on the man that killed his brother, of course with the help of Mark and Maggie.

While I liked the main story, I can't help but find Mark's draw to Molly particularly interestingly. Can't wait to see where it goes in vol. 5!

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - Edit: This was originally 4.5 stars, but after a straight week of not being able to get it out of my head and reliving those final pages over and over, I'm officially bumping it up.

Absolutely my favourite of the series so far. This is so well written and well illustrated. The story was told freaking perfectly. So powerful.

Seriously, Postal just completely caught me by surprise in the best possible way and now I'm just binge reading them all with a vigor I haven't had in awhile. Such an epic and messed-up and bloody tale and community.

Damn.

Onto the next, I suppose. Slightly terrified how they're going to up the level of intensity in the next volume. I am officially on the edge of my seat.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryan Hill and Isaac Goodhart continue their dark and twisted look at Eden, Wyoming and its cast of criminals. Here, Mark shows his mettle again and its impressive but you can also see him slipping down a potentially ominous path. The series has gotten better and better and don't know where its going, which I enjoy. Overall, a very good read.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. Always look forward to reading it. HEY, wouldn't this make a good TV series? Er, Netflix series. Yeah, that would be better. Obviously a lot of things would have to change, but the characters and story is are enticing. ;)

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just gets better; as a matter of fact this is starting to take over my Walking Dead obsession.
Mark and his mother are just great. Doesn't hurt that he has a girlfriend who is actually a ride or die .
Looking forward to reading "Eden Falls" which is the prequel to how all this began.

[Nomad nimrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

Curious enough for volume 5.

[JCUZZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best volume yet. Freakin Brutal😵🔪⚰️

[Sebastian Song · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postal grows from strength to strength. Among the most under-rated graphic novels today.

[Dani (ダニ ¦ 다니) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now we get to the good stuff. I'm excited for the next volume to read. First have to buy more tho haha

[zackxdig · Rating 4 out of 5]

They had to fight some nazis to protect eden.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like this series. Payoff in this volume though, was a bit of a let down. Interesting character development

[Citybones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bueno, y relevante con todo el movimiento de Black Lives Matter. Como el ex-Nazi evoluciona y como Eden va a la guerra con los arios. Y Mollie metiéndose en la cabeza de Mark.

[Filipe · Rating 3 out of 5]

good art and some nice passages in the storyline but falls a bit short on the execution.

[Elicia]

2.5

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

CN: lynching, white supremacists/neonazis

[Steven W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is an incredible series that does not get enough love.

[Tanvir Muntasim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series just keeps on getting better!

[Paul Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Aryan Brotherhood hit Eden – good volume

This volume deals with the people of Eden confronting members of the Aryan Brotherhood. As you would expect from this team, there's bloodshed and a body count and the relationships between the now-familiar residents of Eden get developed further.

I enjoy this series and, like many others, I hope that the creators know when to stop. The next volume might be the last but the series is well worth investigating. Good writing and artwork make it worth the bother.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd forgotten how good this series is.