Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Elephantmen #38Elephantmen #38
Image Comics
Starkings, Medellin, Roshell & Cook

Elephantmen is an excellent comic book. The very best issues have been the ones that break out of the ordinary, such as the story putting the Elephantmen in the Conan genre. However, this issue doesn't really break from the norm. Instead, this issue ties together two or three long running plots in shocking fashion. This convergence was both entertaining and a bit shocking as Starkings reveals a couple of the big cards he's been holding since the beginning of the series. I will try to avoid spoiling anything but this is your warning. The impact of this issue will depend greatly on how long you have read the book. The long time readers are going to be floored whereas the more recent readers might not find these developments as shocking. Either way, I recommend picking this book up.

The most recent plot that has been running for a few issues deals with the deaths of Elephantmen. These murders, occurring here and there for dozens of issues, have accelerated the past few and have gained a lot more attention. Well, in this issue we find out one of the killer's identities and it's something I suspected but didn't dare hold out hope that I was right. The reveal isn't lost on the fact that it appears that an important character dies in the mix. The whole ending is superb.

The pieces of the rest of the book don't disappoint. The biggest component occurs when we discover a shocking tidbit about Miki's origin that was huge when it was unveiled but may have gotten buried by the ending of the book. Also, not to be lost in the shuffle is the workers at the Horn compound. They are clearly up to something suspicious.

The beauty of this issue is how the story threads come together in a natural way. However, this issue is only the third part of the arc, which leaves more room for things to get shaken out even more. Another aspect worth mentioning is how many references to other issues are included. This really helps to ground the story and provide a glimpse into how carefully planned Starkings has had this series from the very beginning.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsBy now I think it is obvious that Medellin's strength is drawing the female form. He outdoes himself in this issue. Not only does he bring a soft touch to some of the tender moments but he brings the pain when the females are wielding weapons of destruction. However you like your women of Elephantmen you simply can't go wrong with this issue's artistic presentation.

This is a classic issue of Elephantmen. I can't recall a single issue that reveals this much information in such a shocking fashion. It's a brilliant book. Add in that this comic book includes backup stories, pinups and an extra-long main story and you have a ton of value for your money. I can't wait to see where this is all going. This is a terrific comic book.

5 out of 5 Geek Goggles