Postal: The Complete Collection

Postal (Collected Editions) #1-7

by Matt Hawkins, Bryan Edward Hill, Isaac Goodhart (Artist)

Welcome to Eden, founded by criminals, for criminals, where crime is not tolerated. But a terrible murder shatters the fragile peace of this remote town, driving local postman Mark Shiffron down a twisting path to the truth about his hometown—and himself. After all, as the son of its cofounders, Eden is his birthright. Co-writers BRYAN HILL and MATT HAWKINS team with artist ISAAC GOODHART for an unflinching tale about the price of redemption, told through the perspective of a young man with Asperberger’s and set in the murky soul of America’s heartland. Collects POSTAL #1-25, LAURA, MARK

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery

679 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2020

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postal is the tale of a small town, Eden, Wyoming, which doesn't exist. It's a town not on any map. It's not in government records. It's where the worst criminals go when they have nowhere else, to start over. It's run by its mayor, Laura, who is ruthless. She has to be to keep these thugs and murderers in line. The punishment for crimes here is public execution. Mark, her son, delivers the mail. He has Asperger Syndrome. When his father, Isaac, returns to town in horrific fashion, Mark is forced to break from his routine, to show he sees way more than he lets on.

I really liked this series. Everyone has secrets. I mean, their criminals, of course they have secrets. The book is absolutely brutal and violent at times, so this may not be for the squeamish. But I like how some of the criminals try and move past their former lives. Mark emerges from his chrysalis like a butterfly over time, determining what he wants for his future. This is one of those gems that hides just below the surface waiting to be plucked.

[Mitticus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engrossing crime drama, very violent and gory .

Postal is the story of a town -Eden- created by criminals to harbor criminals, where the only law is the Mayor and the punishment is death. It's sort a cross between neo-western (ala Deadwood) and criminal drama family amorals (like Animal Kingdom). Laura Shiffron is the mayor and one of the founders in the 1970s (there is cultish elements too), she is the law and the draconian murderer force in Eden along her partner the sheriff, though we see mostly things through the postman, her son Mark. He has asperger and is mocked like dim-witted but he is the opposite to that. The trope a savvy detective follows with murder in the town that starts with his supposely dead father that opem a can of worms of old story of the town and his family. There are all gray/black characters with violent pasts, and demons in their backgrounds. The town is totally outside the law, and the system, does not appear anywhere, not even by satellites, due to a deal of the founders with the FBI. There will be more play with this later, but it is an interesting premise; and there are a couple of twists and turns that take you by surprise at first. Then there is the power game that will happen with the people when/if the mayor decides to leave.







The start is really slow and some things are a bit off, without further explanations, but you get absorved by the plot and I couldn't stop of read it until the end (it gets better ) but despite the ending it's and ongoing comic still. I am waiting for the conclusion of the cliffhanger of Postal: Deliverance Volume 2 that happens after this volume.

The Art? The drawing is not my favorite, especially at the beginning, but later it improves something. Perhaps something can be seen between the bloodstains.



Llegué acá desde un desvio por Linda Sejic (que dibuja algunas portadas de este comic), pero no puede ser más diferente a lo que normalmente leo , que generalmente es ligero y con humor. Esto es super violento y nadie se redime, todos son sociopatas o sicopatas y trigger-happy. Sin embargo , de alguna forma no puedes parar de leer como el proverbial choque de tren o accidente vial. El personaje que más evoluciona es Mark al que sigues esperando que se de un tiro o acabe por hacer volar todo el pueblo para liberarse de ese lastre de legado.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I haven't heard more of this series (let alone the comic universe it is set in). Postal takes place in Eden, Wyoming - a town that doesn't exist. Literally. You won't find it on maps or any government records. It has no zip code or public works. Eden was set-up as a safe haven for criminals, murderers, rapists, and other scums of the Earth to have a second chance. If anybody acts out of hand, they are executed in front of the town. Mark, who's mom is the mayor, is the town's Post Master and has Asperger's Syndrome. He sees the world differently from the rest of the town's citizen. Everything in Mark's life changes one night when a sister he never knew he had, shows up dead in Eden. To make matter's worse, Mark's mom informs him that his father killed his sister - who Mark had believed died over 20 years ago.

The book is extremely well with characters who are trying to redeem themselves from their evil pasts. Mark's character was very well crafted which gives the book a unique voice. There is so much lurking just under the surface and you learn more about the town and it's haunting origins as the series progresses. I was captivated and it was extremely hard to put down. The art is well crafted and gets even better as the series goes on. The book is very graphic and covers some heavy themes so it is definitely not for the squeamish. If you are fan of crime and noir stories, you should check it out.

This is an amazing collection: It contains Postal #1-25, Postal: Mark #1, Postal: Laura #1, and Postal: The Dossier #1, cover gallery, and author and artist notes. It is all presented in a sturdy, hardback cover. After reading, I found there are more series in the Eden-universe, as well as a sequel series that is currently being released. I will definitely be finding these to add to my collection.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

Postal has been on my to-read list since it was first released. The concept had me intrigued at the time but I decided to push it to the side in favour of Chew, Nailbiter, Revival and Walking Dead. When I heard the book was going to be published in the complete hardcover I had to jump onto the title. There's clearly an audience out there for this series as they are now in the early issues of what I would conclude as book 2. It's not a spoiler to announce that there's a sequel or continuation to this series as I have no idea what the follow-up is about. I knew nothing of this series and took a leap of faith based on the reviews of Comic book roundup and I have to admit it wasn't the book I had envisioned.

Why the 4?

The book was strong early but flattened in the middle before ending on a strong note. The easiest way to describe this book is it's a mixed bag of ideas. It has the story structure of something like Walking Dead but it never throws you in the deep end. Kirkman has a way of hitting you with unpredictability and this series definitely needed to use some of those beats here. The book is still well done but I just expected a little more bite from a 25 issue series. I'm using Walking Dead as an example only to demonstrate how the style felt to me. It honestly felt like a book right out of Kirkman's mind. The family dynamic is the key to this book and that is maintained throughout. Your patience will be tested as the mother character makes some interesting choices throughout. It's not the best Image title out there but it's nice to look at and it reads very quickly. I had purchased 4 volumes but instead purchased this nice hardcover version that captures most. I have been reading Tithe and Think Tank which will crossover with Postal down the line so that's something you can also invest in if you enjoy Postal. I liked it but it's not the best series out there.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Postal by Bryan Edward Hill is what comic books were always meant to be and what no one ever expects them to be and that alone, is what makes this book worth reading.

Summary -

Eden, Wyoming is a town founded by criminals for criminals. It is a safe haven for those who want to live their lives in peace, safe from the world and from themselves. Any criminal activity is not tolerated in Eden and is dealt with swiftly and with extreme prejudice. Yet a horrible murder rocks the small town as the brutalized body of a young woman is found on its main street. A murder that tears at the very core of what Eden was suppose to be.

Mark Shiffron is the mailman in the town of Eden. He is different from the other citizens of the town in that he has never committed a crime. He also has a mental disorder that makes him unable to share his emotions with other people. He is the son of the founders of Eden and its current Mayor. Mark needs to solve the murder of the young woman and discover what is at the core of Eden. Because Eden is his legacy. But soon it will become his curse. Because the the young woman is the sister Mark never knew he had and the killer, could very well be his own father.

Review -

Postal is a comic like any other on the market right now. It succeeds on so many levels that I am left somewhat dumbfounded as to why I have not heard of it before. It is about crime and violence and family and cults and pretty much everything else that could or should be construed as noire, but isn't. One thing I do not think it is...is horror. So I am again somewhat dumbfounded as to why it is being marketed as so.

What Postal has is characters. Flawed and cruel and jaded in so many ways. But terrific characters none the less. Mark is an anomaly in this book. Perhaps the only true innocent. A lamb among the wolves that somehow the wolves should fear.

Like so many good books out in the world, it is hard to go deep into Postal without giving away tidbits that make it such an enjoyable read so I will end this review with one thought.

Find it, read it and just enjoy.

A really good comic.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a graphic novel as my first review of the year is surprising, but that's what happens when you've had a library hold on it for almost a year before it finally becomes available on Jan. 1st. It was worth the wait. This is the complete series of a set of graphic novels featuring a young high functioning autistic man (still called Aspergers in this series) who is the postman in an isolated town, Eden, Wyoming, of criminals run by his mother. I liked both the art and dialog, but thought the authors took several timeline jumps that were awkward and needed some fill-in information. Interesting way to start my reading year.

[Vaikhari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot : 4/5
Art : 4/5
Humour : 3.5/5
Characters : 4.5/5
Overall rating : 4.25/5

This one was right up my alley.

Mark is an interesting cross between Patrick from rubbernecker by Bauer and Tilly from poe series by Craven. I love him.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing read. Has little to do with the Post Office. One would assume by the title that mail delivery would be a large portion of the goings on here, but no dice. If you want to read a comic book about mail delivery, this is not it.

[Jacob Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best series I've read in a long while.

Reminds me of Breaking Bad meets Preacher.

[Marcelo Soares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Então Éden é uma cidadezinha típica do redneckismo americano, no meio de um daqueles estados que tem nome estranho. Uma cidade em que a placa de bem-vindo e volte sempre é a mesma, como outra qualquer, certo?
Não. Éden é uma cidade invisível, não tem no GPS, não tem Facebook, não tem Instagram, não tem TikTok.
É uma cidade para idosos? Não.
É uma cidade para criminosos.
Fundada por criminosos lá na loucura psicodélica dos anos 70, com um acordo escamoso e secreto com o FBI que mantém a cidade para criminosos que não querem mais se incomodar com o sistema, aquela tal de lei e o Homem. E as coisas funcionam? Bom, mais ou menos; volta e meia tem um probleminha aqui ou ali - a velha história do tigres e das listras - e a prefeita, ex do, supostamente falecido, fundador, resolve com uma bala na cabeça no meio da missa de domingo, porque em Éden ninguém da moral para malandro; escreveu, não leu, o pau comeu.
A função começa quando o carteiro resolve que quer dar uns pegas na garçonete.
Por quê? É só uns pega, nada demais.
O Carteiro é o filho autista da prefeita e do, supostamente falecido, fundador e a garçonete é, secretamente, uma informante do FBI. Parece que a história deveria ser sobre isso?
Mas não. O supostamente falecido fundador, obviamente, não está morto e volta prometendo vingança, e o pessoal, especialmente a ex, faz uma propaganda de que o cara é um deus da violência, do sangue e da destruição, leva umas 20 edições para o cara voltar como um velhinho de barba branca, um monte de criancinhas ridículas em volta, uma bengala e meia dúzia de cultistas que não durariam cinco minutos em qualquer filme do Van Damme. Maior propaganda enganosa.
No meio do caminho temos boxe clandestino, intrigas no FBI, neonazistas, neonazistas arrependidos, meninas rebeldes e psicopatas e mais umas bobagens. O real problema é que a volta do fundador demora muito e é meio: esperei vinte edições para essa bosta?
Eu tenho certeza que tem mais coisas espalhadas que eu não percebi, é um daqueles casos em que a culpa não é do livro, o leitor que não ajuda muito.
Por último, um lembrete: sempre que vocês depuserem um tirano de alguma idílica cidade do interior; cortem a cabeça e toquem fogo, porque, como todo mundo sabe, o fogo purifica.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a breath of fresh - if at times slightly predictable - air this book turned out to be! Totally engrossing read with excellent main characters who have enough nuance and agency to drive their own possible stories.

Mark, our main character, is the local mailman of the town of Eden, Wyoming. And he has Asperger's Syndrome. He needs everything in its proper place. A routine. A system.
Well what happens if the routine of this town gets uprooted? What if the system of this town is threatened? Who exactly is Mark's mother? How did she become Mayor of this small town? And why is this town exclusively full of criminals?

Can Mark pull back on all the influential people in his life and become his own man with authority?

All of these intriguing questions will slowly be answered if you buy this book right now and dive in. Postal was a nice metaphorical tale of nature vs nurture, perceived mental illness, hypocrisy and family.

[OmniBen · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review)
I've had this sitting on my shelf from its release, which was also around the time I started collecting comics. I've avoided it for years because, quite frankly, I knew it was going to be utter shite. When elected galactic emperor, writing this atrocious will not be tolerated. The art and colours are also rather dreadful. At least its scarcity means I can sell it for a profit. 1/5


OmniBen.

[Rumi Bossche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Postal is one of those books i missed out on when it got released. So i was really happy with the rereleased this  book as a sort of compendium, or super thick trade paper back. I thought this was a horror book but it was really more of a crime book. The story is about Mark Saffron a man who works as a postman. His mother is the mayor of Postal a weird little Town full of criminals with its own laws. Mark is also peculiar,  he has Asperger's syndrome and tries to solve a murder. This book has many many mysteries and is often quite over the top, but is really noirish hardboiled fun. The artwork is not really my cup of thee, its certainly not bad but a bit lifeless at times or something,  this is a cool one for crime fans.

[Koen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, IN-cre-di-ble!! I think this might be THE read of 2025 .. The story was perfectly brought and the tension kept going up, until it all came together in a magnificent ending! The personas like Mark, Molly, Maggie, Laura... All well-chosen with deep characterizations and emotions.
I'm definitely HUGE fan of this collection!

[Ridanwise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Ultimately entertaining (once the art style grew on me). Story arcs could benefit from further plot development, tho. It’s, ironically enough, far too succinct a graphic novel, tending to leap high and far for unearned resolutions at times.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[David Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eden je město, které neexistuje - pac v něm žijí jen zločinci. A mladý velmi Aspergerovity muž, který v něm roznasi poštu, najde lásku a díky super schopnostem plynoucím z Aspergera (které jsou místy absolutně šílený, až urazlivy) všechny problémy vyřeší.

Má to svoje momenty, ale vesměs je to spíš jednoduchoučký až na hranu hlouposti, základní reálie jsou vyloženě bizarní (do té míry, že vysvětlení "je to kouzlo" by bolelo méně) a jednání velké části postav prostě postrádá jakoukoliv logiku. Co je ještě horší je jak to pracuje se stupnovanim napětí - několikrát přijde situace "ale ne, když se stane X tak jsme ztraceni" a pak se X stane.
A je to jedno, nikam to nevede. O zobrazování lidi který nejsou úplně neurotypický ani nemluvě. Superchopnosti hlavního hrdiny jsou malinko trapas, ale sociopatka která nekonečně vraždí protože ji to hrozně baví je malinko ostuda. Pokud děláte knihu postavenou na vztazích, je fajn, když je postavy mají a jednají nějak uchopitelne. Náboženská linka je pak už úplně podivná, ale hej, proč ne.

České kompletní vydání od Mighty Boys ovšem krásné je, jenom prostě ten obsah moc krásný není.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great horror graphic novel. Eden is a town full of criminals looking for a fresh start, but at the heart of the town is a mailman with unique skills who keeps finding himself mixed up in lots of trouble. There's a supernatural element mixed in with just the general horror of how terrible human beings can be.

The graphics and coloring are both excellent and will leave you reading with the lights on as you become more absorbed into the story.

[Pogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just amazed at this book and devoured it. I love that the main character is neuro diverse.

[James Varghese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was ... surprisingly engrossing. Some Deus ex machina stuff at times to move the plot forward but genuinely an interesting world to explore.

[Alexandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best read of 2020 I think.

[Tigertemprr · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Postal: The Complete Collection | 75%** #1-25, etc. Hawkins. Eden, Wyoming is a town founded by criminals for criminals but crime is punishable by death. Mark Shiffron has Aspererger's syndrome and watches the town descend into chaos from his role as mailman. His mother is Mayor and rules with an iron fist. Seedy, grimy, grounded, secluded slice of Midwest Americana filled with old secrets, backdoor deals, tense situations, death, vengeance, redemption, family/generational drama/trauma, and dark comedy. Art was serviceable to the neo-noir vibes but not my favorite sometimes. Middle felt like self-contained stories about townspeople. Ending was thematically strong and properly connected to earlier threads, but still felt a little deflated/rushed/predictable compared to what I expected. This could have used a little more mystery, payoff, development, and unpredictability. The Asperger's perspective felt unique and relatively respectful/authentic while making character interactions fresh/humorous. Recommended to fans of Nailbiter, Revival, Preacher, Walking Dead, Southern Bastards.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an alright read, there were some pretty good characters and a lot of action sequences sprinkled throughout. Although, there were a few characters that really lacked depth and were just there as tokens to advance the plot. I can't say I was a fan of the sacrificial worshiping thing towards the end as it seemed really out-of-place. If anything, there should have been more detail put into that aspect to bring it more to life, instead of having it feel like it was just thrown in for an edgy plot twist. Presentation of the book was excellent with thick glossy pages and a beautiful matte finish case wrap. The binding was very tight which led it not wanting to lay completely flat. However, the layout proved (mostly) ample room to ensure nothing was lost in the gutter. The extras were really great with the extra issues featuring Laura and Mark and it really helped tie everything together for closure. The extra cover artwork included was also a nice addition, although they were far too small to fully appreciate.

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, endings are hard man.

Thoroughly a captivating, grisly crime drama for the majority of the read. The setup of a city for reform-hopeful criminals in the middle of nowhere Wyoming that has its own laws because the government turns a blind eye, through the lens of the mayor’s son who has Asperger’s, is an interesting one.

Character development is steady and intrigue layers. I was absorbed and loyally followed the trail of its curveballs, but in the execution of the ending, all the build up is farted away and the loose ends are haphazardly wrapped up like a last-minute gift for a coworker.

Hate to see a great story smeared unceremoniously by an ending, but they can’t all be masterpieces.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting series, reminded me of the series 'hannibal' for some reason. Maybe it was the aspergers crime solving thing.

One of the things that threw me off was the detailed information about the belief system of the 'Hate Group' in the series. It felt a bit like it was coming from a personal space. I mean, if a person is hateful or a racist, that's not my problem, its theirs. It was just a bit off is all.

All and all a very interesting, violent tale of a mystery town full of criminals.

[Shazandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous!! Not like me at all to read something this violent or write a review but

The art! (Kiss)
The layouts (wow)
THE COLOURS !!

took you out of the story but helped me feel like mark, following the facts of the story without getting too grossed out - I was an observer of these beautiful pages.
the best way to read a comic when you love the story can’t wait to see what happens *and* can’t wait to see what it looks like. So glad I had the whole arc to read at once.

[Giorgio Castellini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent graphic novel.
I love the plotlines, the twists and the psychology behind the main characters.
I think they should have refined a few aspects though, as in some of those twists are completely out of the blue without any real background or explanation.
I think it would be a great R rated series, which apparently was in the works with Hulu, but never saw the light of day.
So, all in all, great read, but not one of my favourites.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Learning about the characters, town, social dynamics etc. The premise was pretty cool. A town full of criminals living off the grid and trying to act like small town folk? Sign me up. The issues came when the father got involved and other external forces. I just didn’t care about any of that. I would rather this have been s more slice of life type story instead of jamming in action.

[Becky Swales-Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down

I'd not heard of this series before but I liked the description. I feel like the actual execution was a bit lacking and some of the characters looked the same which meant I got a little lost at some points. There was some really nice connections made between the criminals in Eden and I think I would have preferred more of a focus on the people in the town rather than on the Shiffron's. The artwork was really graphic at times but really well done.

[Sammy Harding · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this, only recently got into graphic novels, saw this and saw that it had mixed reviews but the blurb got me interested. The first 5 or so chapters were world building so a bit slow took a bit of time for me to get through but with every passing chapter after that it gradually got better and better. I really like the portrayal of Mark and the quirks him and every other character had.