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Copperhead #4
Copperhead, Vol. 4
The acclaimed sci-fi western continues as shocking revelations about Sheriff Clara Bronson's tragic past finally come to light during her fight to save her son. Meanwhile, Mayor Boo risks his life when he investigates Hickory's shady dealings. Collects COPPERHEAD #15-18
104 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 24, 2019
This is another one that started strong and is getting weaker, both in art and story, but still mostly enjoyable, and I will continue with the series.
May 15, 2018
Solid continuation that tells smaller stories within the broader established fabric.
May 7, 2018
This series goes back up to 4 stars. While the art still isn't as good for the first 2 volumes, the pacing of the story improves a lot over the previous volume and the revelations involved add a lot to the story as a whole. We also seem to be done setting up all the pieces and things are finally moving toward the central conflict.
April 14, 2018
I'm enjoying this series and this volume reveals a lot of the Sherriff's backstory. She's certainly one tough customer! What exactly does Boss Hogg have going on down in the mine?
April 29, 2024
Just don't read the last two pages and it'll almost be a complete story arc. Amazing as always. Who knew sci-fi Western was a genre I needed more of in my life??
Reread 4/29/2024: Rereading as I’m going to lend these to Nick and I wanted to have it fresh in my memory. So good, and I’m mad all over again that it never got a proper ending.
Reread 4/29/2024: Rereading as I’m going to lend these to Nick and I wanted to have it fresh in my memory. So good, and I’m mad all over again that it never got a proper ending.
April 16, 2018
still don't get the dislike for this book. Its another great installment in the series. A little slow yet some revelations occur and some side plots begin to unravel. Really enjoying this and looking forward to more from this series.
May 18, 2018
Clara Bronson's bad day keeps getting worse. Not that readers should expect anything less. Still, attending an autopsy of the mayor, tracking an assassin, getting into a brutal fist fight, encountering a not-so-friendly ex-con friend from the past . . . Sheriff Bronson is really good at pissing people off. One just hopes she doesn't push her luck too far.
The fourth volume of COPPERHEAD puts a nice bow on the events of the previous volume. Clay may have outwitted a legion of intergalactic police officers while in search of the distant and desolate land of Copperhead, but definitely hasn't prepared himself for the fury and wrath of a Bronson woman scorned. Readers already know Clara doesn't take crap from anybody. So why, indeed, would she fold to a lowly thief who is guilty of war crimes, especially after having endured what she has suffered? This appears to be the overarching theme of the comic: everyone always underestimates Clara.
As such, the story heats up in a keen and methodical way. Budroxifinicus is still the mayor, and he still kind of sucks at it, but the guy is tenacious if nothing else. Fortunately, Boo has retained his policing instincts, and his imperative to scrub Copperhead clean of corruption -- Hickory included -- is making for some delightful intrigue. These characters consistently invent their own worst enemies, and it'll be hell trying to figure out who will survive and who won't.
Moss's art remains on-model and the page compositions have become increasingly familiar. The occasional stiff posturing is few and far in-between, so readers can focus on all the book's scrunched brows, bloody temples, and crooked chins without worry. The character designs are one of this title's strongest points, and it's good to see that even with a shift in art duties, readers can have a place to call home.
COPPERHEAD threatened to get a little stale in the previous volume, but the balance of action and drama appears to have recalibrated nicely.
The fourth volume of COPPERHEAD puts a nice bow on the events of the previous volume. Clay may have outwitted a legion of intergalactic police officers while in search of the distant and desolate land of Copperhead, but definitely hasn't prepared himself for the fury and wrath of a Bronson woman scorned. Readers already know Clara doesn't take crap from anybody. So why, indeed, would she fold to a lowly thief who is guilty of war crimes, especially after having endured what she has suffered? This appears to be the overarching theme of the comic: everyone always underestimates Clara.
As such, the story heats up in a keen and methodical way. Budroxifinicus is still the mayor, and he still kind of sucks at it, but the guy is tenacious if nothing else. Fortunately, Boo has retained his policing instincts, and his imperative to scrub Copperhead clean of corruption -- Hickory included -- is making for some delightful intrigue. These characters consistently invent their own worst enemies, and it'll be hell trying to figure out who will survive and who won't.
Moss's art remains on-model and the page compositions have become increasingly familiar. The occasional stiff posturing is few and far in-between, so readers can focus on all the book's scrunched brows, bloody temples, and crooked chins without worry. The character designs are one of this title's strongest points, and it's good to see that even with a shift in art duties, readers can have a place to call home.
COPPERHEAD threatened to get a little stale in the previous volume, but the balance of action and drama appears to have recalibrated nicely.
September 15, 2020
This was disappointing. I really enjoyed the first volume of this series, but the follow-ups haven't been as strong, and this one was downright bad.
The soap opera drama jumps the shark. Turns out Clara isn't Zeke's mother, she's his aunt. And she killed his mother, her sister, to stop her from comminting a crime.
The dialogue is pretty lazy. There are panels clearly designied for dramatic one-liners but the text is unintersting. Maybe that was a miscommunication between the artist and the writer? There's a scene where, in one panel a character is way off to the side of another, then in the next panel, shoots them square in the back. How does that happen? There's a fight between Clay and Ishmael the android where Clay strikes Ishmael in the neck and he crumples to the ground like he's dead. I'm thinking, does he have an off switch? The action cuts away and when it comes back, Ishmael is on his feet and bloody, as though he'd been in a completely different fight than the one we just witnessed, and he and Clay are both running around searching for Zeke. But Zeke was in the room with them during the off-switch scene. I flipped back through to see if I had missed some pages.
This is the climax of the whole Clara/Clay/Zeke storyline, and, as a climax, it's underwhelming. (I thought it was the last volume of the series, but it clearly says "to be continued.") I sat back and tried to remember what I liked about this story in the first place, and what I liked were all the different aliens living in this frontier world. So focusing on the backstory of the human character took this series in the wrong direction for me.
The soap opera drama jumps the shark. Turns out Clara isn't Zeke's mother, she's his aunt. And she killed his mother, her sister, to stop her from comminting a crime.
The dialogue is pretty lazy. There are panels clearly designied for dramatic one-liners but the text is unintersting. Maybe that was a miscommunication between the artist and the writer? There's a scene where, in one panel a character is way off to the side of another, then in the next panel, shoots them square in the back. How does that happen? There's a fight between Clay and Ishmael the android where Clay strikes Ishmael in the neck and he crumples to the ground like he's dead. I'm thinking, does he have an off switch? The action cuts away and when it comes back, Ishmael is on his feet and bloody, as though he'd been in a completely different fight than the one we just witnessed, and he and Clay are both running around searching for Zeke. But Zeke was in the room with them during the off-switch scene. I flipped back through to see if I had missed some pages.
This is the climax of the whole Clara/Clay/Zeke storyline, and, as a climax, it's underwhelming. (I thought it was the last volume of the series, but it clearly says "to be continued.") I sat back and tried to remember what I liked about this story in the first place, and what I liked were all the different aliens living in this frontier world. So focusing on the backstory of the human character took this series in the wrong direction for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 28, 2024A friend recommended these to me as her favorite comic series. I enjoyed them but wasn't swept off my feet. The general idea of "space western" is a fun one and is fairly well done here. Faerber picks up a lot of genre elements without sliding into pastiche. That said, I also don't think he does much to advance or transcend the genre. (As an example, in Volume 1 there is a violent encounter with "the natives" of Jasper and some side comments about the treaty with them, but this thread is never picked up again.) The deputy sheriff Budroxifinicus was a highlight character for me.
The biggest letdown in this series for me was the change in artist for Volumes 3-4 from Scott Godlewski to Drew Moss. I thought Godlewski was a great artist, with a soft and characterful style that reminded me of Dustin Nguyen's art from "Descender" (and indeed I thought Copperhead had a few commonalities with that series, an all-time favorite of mine), but Moss is just a worse artist trying to maintain the same visual style (in particular, much worse at faces).
Overall a fun series and one I can imagine enjoying picking up on the comic stand issue-by-issue--too bad it's suspended--but I thought it fell short of the vision and integrity of something like "Descender."
The biggest letdown in this series for me was the change in artist for Volumes 3-4 from Scott Godlewski to Drew Moss. I thought Godlewski was a great artist, with a soft and characterful style that reminded me of Dustin Nguyen's art from "Descender" (and indeed I thought Copperhead had a few commonalities with that series, an all-time favorite of mine), but Moss is just a worse artist trying to maintain the same visual style (in particular, much worse at faces).
Overall a fun series and one I can imagine enjoying picking up on the comic stand issue-by-issue--too bad it's suspended--but I thought it fell short of the vision and integrity of something like "Descender."
February 21, 2020
Moss's art is really terrible in this volume. It's not just that it's stylistically different from Godlewski (who co-created the series), it's that he doesn't know how to make a character look the same from one panel to the next. It's embarrasingly distracting. I also hate the way he draws faces, but that's a style issue, not a talent issue. But it repeatedly pulled me out of this volume.
The writing gets steader in this volume, though it starts with the bad action dialog from the previous volume, it eventually finds its footing again.
The only reason I'm picking up volume five is because it's credited to Scott Godlewski, and I'm curious to see how they wrap up this originally promising series.
The writing gets steader in this volume, though it starts with the bad action dialog from the previous volume, it eventually finds its footing again.
The only reason I'm picking up volume five is because it's credited to Scott Godlewski, and I'm curious to see how they wrap up this originally promising series.
May 18, 2018
Volume 4 mercifully picks up right from volume 3's unnecessary cliffhanger. Mayor Boo takes the case, revealing that any potential heel turn was a false flag. Sarah's teacher buddy is deputized. A climax occurs related to Sarah's mysterious backstory.
Copperhead is great, but it's also very simple. It provides exactly the revelations and resolutions you want with little or no surprises. Four stars because I had a great time, but as I look back on the story, I tend to think, "Oh, that was it?"
Copperhead is great, but it's also very simple. It provides exactly the revelations and resolutions you want with little or no surprises. Four stars because I had a great time, but as I look back on the story, I tend to think, "Oh, that was it?"
October 29, 2018
Science-fiction western saga begins to approach the end – or does it? Enjoyable stuff
This is basically a Western set in a futuristic setting with many alien races. Clara Bronson is the red-headed sheriff in a small town called Copperhead bringing justice to all. There is of course corruption and political manipulation going on around her as well as revelations and betrayal. This volume follows on directly from Volume 3 and will lead onto another volume.
A good old-fashioned shoot-out type of comic, it’s engaging, interesting as well as showing originality. Well-written and illustrated.
This is basically a Western set in a futuristic setting with many alien races. Clara Bronson is the red-headed sheriff in a small town called Copperhead bringing justice to all. There is of course corruption and political manipulation going on around her as well as revelations and betrayal. This volume follows on directly from Volume 3 and will lead onto another volume.
A good old-fashioned shoot-out type of comic, it’s engaging, interesting as well as showing originality. Well-written and illustrated.
January 28, 2025
I'm not quite sure how and why this slid the way it did, but there's a story in this thing—one coming to an end, one just beginning. But the dialogue feels like placeholder when in previous volumes, especially the first two, it popped, zapped, and radiated. It was sharp, dynamic, and charming. This one felt like boilerplate. The characters felt less developed even when we knew them better, and the art also didn't move and sway as it did in previous outings. Very curious. Wish this series got to wrap its new story though.
February 7, 2020
Oooh. Backstory finally comes to the front in the story of Sheriff Bronson, as illicit dealings in the mines begin to bubble over, with bloody results. Still only four issues, and Drew Moss' art is sometimes sketcher than I prefer, but good stuff.
Sadly, this collects to only issue 18. There is an issue 19 out there on its lonesome, but the final arc (20-22) got canceled in Dec 2018 because of scheduling issues and has never resurfaced. A shame -- these characters deserve a conclusion.
Sadly, this collects to only issue 18. There is an issue 19 out there on its lonesome, but the final arc (20-22) got canceled in Dec 2018 because of scheduling issues and has never resurfaced. A shame -- these characters deserve a conclusion.
April 29, 2018
Three stars mainly because the art really is getting unbearably bad (since Godlewski left) and the story is generally very simple, but I enjoyed this volume more than any of the previous. A few more twists than normal kept this from having the art drag it down to a 2. I've never seen such wonky faces. Regardless, I'm interested enough to still see where this goes.
March 12, 2019
A bit of a step-up, mainly because the story finally develops somewhat as we learn about sheriff Clara's secrets. But the awful artwork by Drew Moss continues to drag this title down. Volume ends on a bit of a cliffhanger about what's actually happening in Hickory's mine, but I'm not sure I really care anymore at this point.
May 17, 2022
This series started off strong and then started dying slowly. Artist change was where it began. However, for the final arc they were going to bring back the original artist to wrap up the story. Unfortunately, the final couple issues have been on production hold for a few years. I'll read them when they come out but as of now its an incomplete story.
April 3, 2018
Another great installment. A bit slow this time, because not much times passes or actual events occur, but major revelations and a fun look at what must be coming as the mystery of the mine unravels.
April 15, 2018
Still enjoying this series even though it didn't seem like much happened in the last trade, but this trade certainly makes up for it. Some interesting things happened in the issues collected and I'm interested to see how things play out.
October 29, 2018
Clara is a great character - and this volume gives her more depth. I guess different people will react differently to the revelations contained within but I certainly think she is a better/stronger character.
August 20, 2021
Finally remembered to buy #4 and was surprised by where it went, but the storyline and characters kept me engaged enough to reread 1-3 and 4 in a single morning soooo doing something right in regards to story arch.
We'll see what comes next...
We'll see what comes next...
September 23, 2023
I guess this is the end. Kind of a bummer that the book seems to have been canceled right when things were getting intense. But there haven’t been any new issues in 5-1/2 years, so it looks like that’s that.
April 15, 2018
Another great chapter in Jay Faerber's saga of Sheriff Clara. I really love this series. Can't wait til the next one.
May 25, 2018
I really hope this series continues onward.
June 6, 2018
After the first four volumes, it feels like we've gotten through an excellent pilot of an amazing show that should last years.
July 31, 2018
Good volume.
October 29, 2018
+Issue #19
November 26, 2018
Pretty good but felt like everything wrapped up a little too easily and quickly. Felt more cliche than the previous books.
February 4, 2019
Boo is my fave.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews