Top Cow Productions/Image Comics 2016
Written by Matt Hawkins & Bryan Hill
Illustrated by Atilio Rojo
Lettered by Troy Peteri
Former FBI Agent James Miller has found his monster hiding in Eden, Wyoming. Is he able to finally bring him to justice, and how much will it cost him to put Thorton down for good? In the small town of Eden, vengeance is a sword that cuts both ways.
This is the stunning conclusion to the story that brings three series into one cohesive universe. James was murdered in the beginning of this story and it shattered lives right from the onset. Since then it’s been a game of trying to clean up the mess that murder made. With Thorton in Eden away from prying eyes, placed there by someone in a position of power, and seemingly untouchable what will Sam and Dwayne do now?
I have to say I like the way this issue plays out. While the powers that be try to shut Sam up and move her to a secure facility and Dwayne is told to tow the company line there are others out there that would also like to see justice prevail. Justice and retribution such a thin line between the two in this instance. James was a valued member of the FBI and partner to Dwayne so seeing someone approach him about setting things right well I have to admit it wasn't the way I was expecting things to play out.
The funeral for James made it all too clear that he was gone for me. Such a bittersweet moment for a great character. The Tithe will never be the same without him and to be honest i’m looking forward to that coming back now and seeing the ramifications on the characters and seeing where they are now. Though if I were Sam I think the place i’d like to be is in Eden the last place where James was alive. Also it’s kind of hiding in plain sight if you will. Oh yes and there’s the matter of her sentence now that the group has been dissolved. They broke the rules for this one and there are prices that need to be paid.
Atilio does such a magnificent job on the interiors here. From the attention to detail in the characters, main and background, to the use of backgrounds and the colouring, that neon sign for instance, are all incredibly well done. The use of page layouts through angles and perspective are wonderful to see. The emotion he’s able to bring to the page are so palpable and affect the reader. The sadness and the anger and everything in between come across so very well here.
With so many people aware of Eden and with all the changes that this three issue arc has wrought it’ll be interesting to see how these things affect each of the individual series. Will they be recognised as having happened in the near future and how will the status quo be moving forward. There’s a lot that happens when you blend three series into a cohesive universe and the way the guys have done it all here is remarkable.
Smart, interesting and with a subtle power and resistance to the status quo this is how you incorporate your series into one sustainable universe.