Sweet Tooth #17

Jeppard and the kids break out of this latest prison they've found themselves in, but at a cost most terrible for Jeppard's family.
 

The Good

As I've said for every issue I've read of this title, Lemire's got real strength as a storyteller and his cartoonist's flourish in these layouts involves you on a visceral level in every little moment. The title page splash, in particular, with its ring of outlines, was a real striking example of that.  While the look may have gotten a little too intense for me, I did jibe to the toughness of this story, especially in Luce's tough talk and cold blooded aims for retribution.

The Bad

I know that Lemire's injected a lot intentional grotesqueness into this continuing story of hideous hybrid monsters, but I still feel like he pushes that button too hard and the whole book ends up being a bit hard to look at as a result. 

The Verdict - 3/5

I'll continue to say this book is very much an acquired taste and, while I might not personally have that taste, I'd certainly recommend it to anybody looking or needing to break out of the comfort zone of costumed superheroes. If you're a fan of provocative, almost transgressive, horror with a more realistic edge, you're going to dig this book a lot.