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Copperhead #3
Copperhead, Vol. 3
A man from Sheriff Clara Bronson’s past shows up in Copperhead, complicating her efforts to solve the bizarre murder of Copperhead’s mayor. Meanwhile, Deputy Boo is made an offer he can’t refuse. Collects COPPERHEAD #11-14
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 23, 2018
I’m not sure why I continue to read this series,’except that I have a soft spot for westerns. In space, so this series checks off two boxes for me. However....the story is pretty conventional, and feels like any number of stories I’ve seen in the past, cranked out weekly by writers tasked with filling a 20- or 40-minute time slot. The main character has anger issues and would rather beat up people than investigate. Her son is a fresh-faced wonderful guy. She’s running from what appears to be an abusive husband. Her deputy doesn’t respect her. In fact, no one does as she’s made no effort to treat anyone with respect.
I guess I keep coming back because I’m waiting for the author to take the conventional elements and make a left turn with them, crafting something really interesting.....Not yet, and probably never.
I guess I keep coming back because I’m waiting for the author to take the conventional elements and make a left turn with them, crafting something really interesting.....Not yet, and probably never.
January 23, 2018
Scott Godlewski did not make the art in this volume (issues 10# to #14). And it's a big loss. In Jay Faeber's own words, Copperhead is a co-creation of Godlewski. And comics are exactly made of visual art and text. Since some comic books don't have any text (classic examples are the beginning of Le Monde D'Edena by Moebius and some stories in Caza's The Age of Darkness) and are able to tell the story only through visual art, one might even say that this is the most important part.
Can we imagine what it would be like if Saga lost Fiona Staples? Not all comics are like Neil Gaiman's Sandman, where the (sometimes radical) change of art does not harm the writing and is even an interesting part of the series.
It's a big shame, because the story is very good, but some characters really changed (for worse) their expressions and the overall atmosphere has lost part of the appeal and also the way panels are set up is now uninteresting, most of the times. In some cases, some of Godlewski's pages did not have any text, or almost no text and told the story in a very cinematic way. We are now reduced to a plain illustration of words, a lot less satisfying. I will make up my mind about continue reading this series.
Can we imagine what it would be like if Saga lost Fiona Staples? Not all comics are like Neil Gaiman's Sandman, where the (sometimes radical) change of art does not harm the writing and is even an interesting part of the series.
It's a big shame, because the story is very good, but some characters really changed (for worse) their expressions and the overall atmosphere has lost part of the appeal and also the way panels are set up is now uninteresting, most of the times. In some cases, some of Godlewski's pages did not have any text, or almost no text and told the story in a very cinematic way. We are now reduced to a plain illustration of words, a lot less satisfying. I will make up my mind about continue reading this series.
April 3, 2018
Why is there always an art change on comics I like? =/
April 2, 2019
This series keeps getting better and better. The artist is different in this volume, but that didn't distract from my enjoyment.
October 9, 2017
Pardon the pun, but I always come away from each new volume of Copperhead feeling like I was just on a blind date with a snake oil salesman. Like, everything seemed good while I was in it -- and then the thing is over, and I feel like I've been had. It's just that Jay Faerber seems more concerned with cliffhangers and punchlines than he is with actual story. I don't mind how goofy and simplistic Copperhead is -- the outlaw aliens, the Boss Hogg-esque villain, the sheriff-deputy rivalry, and even the sexy clone frontiersman -- but I do get a little exhausted by the zingers every issue, so extreme that at the beginning of every subsequent issue, Faerber has to devote precious pagespace to undoing the crazy thing he did at the end of the issue prior.
It's tedious, and Cv3 complicates this further by trying to tells its story in four issues instead of five, despite the fact that even when Faerber wrote five-issue arcs for the first two volumes, he really struggled to pack an entire story in.
Even though reading Copperhead always makes me feel kind of used and gross, the first two volumes were strong enough that feeling gross didn't matter. But in v3, Faerber attempts to juggle two subplots (the requisite crime-of-the-week, plus the requisite mysterious-sheriff's-mysterious-past-comes-back-to-haunt-her-metaplot), predictably not doing great things with either one.
v3 has more weird alien designs per capita than the previous volumes and gets points for that, but otherwise it's all just kinda half-baked. And more than anything else, Image needs to stop collecting less than five issues in paperback form. That only works with X-Men comics, and Copperhead, let me tell you -- you ain't no X-Men.
It's tedious, and Cv3 complicates this further by trying to tells its story in four issues instead of five, despite the fact that even when Faerber wrote five-issue arcs for the first two volumes, he really struggled to pack an entire story in.
Even though reading Copperhead always makes me feel kind of used and gross, the first two volumes were strong enough that feeling gross didn't matter. But in v3, Faerber attempts to juggle two subplots (the requisite crime-of-the-week, plus the requisite mysterious-sheriff's-mysterious-past-comes-back-to-haunt-her-metaplot), predictably not doing great things with either one.
v3 has more weird alien designs per capita than the previous volumes and gets points for that, but otherwise it's all just kinda half-baked. And more than anything else, Image needs to stop collecting less than five issues in paperback form. That only works with X-Men comics, and Copperhead, let me tell you -- you ain't no X-Men.
December 26, 2017
This one felt a bit short. The other two volumes each had a unique storyline that ended with a conclusion
November 9, 2017
Still going strong. Engaging storyline, lots of interesting characters, and a hard as nails female lead to boot.
August 10, 2021
Not as tight of a story as the first two arcs, and it felt like some of the script wasn't as well edited, but I'm not quitting yet!
January 23, 2018
Another satisfying volume in this great series! The artwork isn't like fine art, but it's just right, just perfect to convey this story...if that makes any sense. Great characters and story lines, this is one of the coolest books going, in my opinion.
March 6, 2018
Copperhead takes a step back in this third volume. It's still a rollicking good sci-fi/western time, but maybe the cliches are starting to add up for me. Deputy Boo, previously uncorruptable, appears to have been easily corrupted by the rich old mine owner. A pair of strangers from Clara's past rocket across the galaxy to confront her about...something. I dunno. Maybe I just liked the characters so much in the previous volumes that A. I don't want to see Boo go bad, and B. I really don't care about the mysterious strangers because, well, they're really mysterious throughout the entire volume. Like, get to the point already. I don't want to spend time with you stealing a spaceship if I don't know who you are.
I could see the series rebounding - the mysterious strangers do arrive abruptly for a cliffhanger ending and Boo as mayor should be interesting. But the change in artist also threw me off. I spent half my review of volume two praising Scott Godlewski's art and now I have to look at Drew Moss's barely comparable work? It's not bad, per se, but much of the crisp cleanness is gone. The story flowed much better with Godlewski on board.
I could see the series rebounding - the mysterious strangers do arrive abruptly for a cliffhanger ending and Boo as mayor should be interesting. But the change in artist also threw me off. I spent half my review of volume two praising Scott Godlewski's art and now I have to look at Drew Moss's barely comparable work? It's not bad, per se, but much of the crisp cleanness is gone. The story flowed much better with Godlewski on board.
October 2, 2019
Volume 3 has a new artist and unfortunately the art is not as good. The lines are thicker and sharper and the detail is less fine. Facial expressions seem to be a particular problem, especially surprised looks.
I’m also realizing that Copperhead is less cop drama and more shoot-em-up, which is disappointing. Assuming the main plot thread is concluded in this volume, the resolution doesn’t seem satisfactory, as the culprit seems like a secondary concern and the assumptions leading to their identification are never confirmed. The characters also continue to become less likable and/or more inscrutable.
I’m also realizing that Copperhead is less cop drama and more shoot-em-up, which is disappointing. Assuming the main plot thread is concluded in this volume, the resolution doesn’t seem satisfactory, as the culprit seems like a secondary concern and the assumptions leading to their identification are never confirmed. The characters also continue to become less likable and/or more inscrutable.
October 17, 2017
The story continues in the best SyFy Western story I've read since FireFly was canceled by FOX. I really enjoy the character back grounds and the on going story of Sheriff Bronson. The graphic are just and good and the story line. I highly recommend this series and I'm looking forward to the next volume sooner than later.
October 1, 2017
Just keeps getting better.
September 9, 2023
Clara finally gets to meet her mayor, a very 'busy' man up to this point - or he just avoided her. She still doesn't get to talk with him when he turns up dead. His receptionist claims that the last person to see the mayor alive was Hickory. Clara is awaiting on evidence from the autopsy and has yet to really begin an investigation, but Hickory moves fast. He appoints Boo to be the acting mayor, which makes him Clara's boss. She also has to deal with her ex bringing more bad news - Zeke's father Lorenzo Clay escaped from prison recently. He is believed to be headed for Copperhead which makes him a threat for Clara herself.
February 21, 2020
This was a really disappointing volume of a story I had been enjoying. While one of the major problems is a change in art. The new artist having some very clumsy staging, and a problem with faces and anatomy. The main problem is that the writing went from fast-paced narrative to jagged, disconnected plot points happening as though the writer was sitting outside of Creative Writing class trying to reach the end of his homework before the bell rang. The characters have gone from complex to two-dimensional, the storylines are just absolutely jammed together, and the dialog is third rate action movie from the 90s.
I'm going to give volume four a chance, to see if it can pick back up, but this volume is so bad that I have to rethink whether I'd recommend the first two to a new reader.
I'm going to give volume four a chance, to see if it can pick back up, but this volume is so bad that I have to rethink whether I'd recommend the first two to a new reader.
September 30, 2018
The Mayor is dead! The new sheriff of Copperhead is embroiled in finding the killer, and this all goes horribly wrong. With her erstwhile Deputy being made the interim Mayor, this adds more fuel to an already explosive bomb, ready to blow. The sheriff goes deep to find the killer and heads into outlaw lands after traces and clues of who may be the culprit. A truly dangerous and disgusting foe awaits her and the epic battle between them is intense. The follow up story is satisfying and thrilling as a shadow of the sheriff's past shows up in the last page or two to really get the reader going!
Danny
Danny
January 23, 2018
Science-fiction western saga continues
Having read Volume 2 (but not 1), I enjoyed what 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. This volume follows on directly from Volume 2 and will lead onto another volume.
A good old-fashioned shoot-out type of comic, it’s engaging and fun. Well-written and illustrated (reminds me a bit of Alien Legion and similar series).
Having read Volume 2 (but not 1), I enjoyed what 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. This volume follows on directly from Volume 2 and will lead onto another volume.
A good old-fashioned shoot-out type of comic, it’s engaging and fun. Well-written and illustrated (reminds me a bit of Alien Legion and similar series).
September 9, 2020
The concept isn't bad. The Mayor of Copperhead is murdered. While Sheriff Bronson is trying to investigate, the big wigs make Budroxifinicus the acting mayor, which Bronson doesn't take well. Meanwhile, Bronson' ex shows up with news about her other ex. The way the story plays out isn't great. There could have been a lot more drama between Bronson and Boo. And also the investigation could have been better plotted. This is only four issues and I think this story could have benefitted from more room to breathe.
November 6, 2020
Je me sens trahi. Sérieusement comment ont ils pu changer d'artiste sur ce comics ? Il etait génial et figurait dans mon top 10 et là, patatra. L'artiste initial se casse et on le remplace avec Joe le clodo. Les dessins sont potables mes les héros ont plus du tout la memet tête, ça casse totalement l'immersion. Tout est moins fluide, les visages sont pas crédibles. La sherif passe d'un visage dur et austère à une tronche de poisson éberlué avec un front de huit kilomètres. Une honte. T.T pourquoi, image comics, pourquoi ?
September 9, 2017
This trade was a slight step down from the two previous trades. With 20+ pages of process drawings and sketches, the trade read like 3 standard issues.
In addition to the length, it seems like it was abbreviated across the board. As though we're reading at 1.5x speed, there are plot jumps that seem more drastic and unexplained than was the case in trades 1 and 2. It's still an interesting storyline with the search for Bronson from both exes and the plots related to both mayors.
3.5/5
In addition to the length, it seems like it was abbreviated across the board. As though we're reading at 1.5x speed, there are plot jumps that seem more drastic and unexplained than was the case in trades 1 and 2. It's still an interesting storyline with the search for Bronson from both exes and the plots related to both mayors.
3.5/5
December 29, 2017
Sheriff Bronson and her various frenemies investigate the murder of Copperhead's mayor, and a very surprising new mayor sits in City Hall. Meanwhile, the Sheriff's ex-boyfriend shows up in Copperhead, and her ex-husband has escaped prison, so not a great time to be Sheriff Bronson. There's not enough of Boo or Ishmael in this collection for my liking, and I'm not super happy about regular artist and co-creator Scott Godlewski being MIA, but Drew Moss does an admirable job pinch-hitting.
March 11, 2019
The departure of co-creator and artist Scott Godlewski is a bad thing for this comic, which was barely scraping by as it is. I love the idea of a backwater sci-fi/western, but Faerber has never come up with a story to really knock my socks off and new artist Drew Moss can't hold a candle to Godlewski's work. This just isn't very good all around.
September 14, 2023
Standard stuff, but the story holds together better than the last volume. I would like to see more originality going forward, but this is like eating cotton candy: we’re not doing it because it’s healthy.
I spent 3-1/2 hours at the car dealership today, and simple stuff like this helps pass the time. Hence my generosity in handing out stars.
I spent 3-1/2 hours at the car dealership today, and simple stuff like this helps pass the time. Hence my generosity in handing out stars.
November 5, 2017
This should be 3.5. The previous volumes are easily 4 stars but the change in artist didn't help and this story really could have used an extra issue to let it breath and let some chapters have their full impact.
March 21, 2018
The change in artists is a little jarring at first as the original artist had a definite style, but overall, the book doesn't suffer for it. The tone of the story persists as does the pacing. There are some interesting twists in this volume and, like in volume 2, another cliffhanger ending.
February 7, 2020
The story begins to get back on track, even if we've lost the original artist to the decent but looser Drew Moss. My main critique with this volume is that we collect only four issues and a truckload of extra art. Which isn't bad, but is kind of disappointing.
January 13, 2021
This volume didn't expound on any of the characters motivations or world building. Stuff happened, but it didn't feel like the story moved forward. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. I'm not going to continue with this series.
January 22, 2025
This one doesn't quite have the zip and punch of the first two, but I like what it's shaping up for the final volume (even though this could've been a crime-of-the-week setup and I would've read all of 'em).
September 10, 2017
Glad to see the series continuing. I like the change in the art, though I still find the colours a bit too bright and clean for a dusty, backwater setting.
September 18, 2017
space wild west with great fun !!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews