Rat God #4

Rat God #4
Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: May 6th, 2105.
Written And Illustrated by: Richard Corben
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Picking up where the first three issues left off, the penultimate issue of Richard Corben's Rat God continues the descent into madness established by the issues prior. When the issue begins, Clark Elwood finds himself engaged in mortal combat with the denizens of the small town that lays claim to Lame Dog Cemetery. Things get bloody but eventually Elwood emerges victorious… or so it seems.

After the battle he meets 'one of Lame Dog's belligerent aristocrats' - a strange looking man in a dapper purple suit - Peck. There is someone behind him covered in a bed sheet. As Elwood and the 'man' talk, a rat emerges from an open window. Elwood makes short work of it and is then asked by his unwelcome guest to kill Zachariah Peck, his patriarch. He refuses, insisting he's a non-violent person, but Elwood's actions speak louder than his words. Regardless, he insists… until the identity of the 'thing' under the bed sheet is revealed. This is enough to coerce Elwood into doing what has been asked of him.

The next morning Clark sits on the porch to await further instructions. Gharlena approaches him and shows him her naked body but he's not interested. She runs off in a huff and Peck, again in his purple suit, arrives in Clark's car. He tells Clark to attend the costume party that will be happening later that night, and so he does just that. His arrival sees the natives go into a strange dance routine after which he's given a tour of the mansion and shown the significance of some of its paintings.

With one issue left in this five issue run, Corben is firing on all cylinders. Obviously and quite understandably this fourth chapter ends on a pretty serious cliffhanger, with all of the elements from the earlier entries starting to come together quite nicely. The story, a classic 'stranger in a strange land' tale also deals in themes of colonization. There's also the predominant theme of sophisticated man's advanced ways and bright, shiny technology having very little effect against those of a more 'primitive' nature. Clark might have gone to an Ivy League school and he might be affluent and worldly, but he's outnumbered and way out of his element. He's also bound by honor and by love, which gives his savage captors the edge. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out in the upcoming fifth and final issue.

The art continues to showcase Corben at his best, and those opening pages remind us why, in his underground days, he used to occasionally sign his work 'GORE.' This issue starts off with some pretty strong violence but then pushes the shock value so often a part of his art to the side for some more atmospheric and arcane scenes that further the story and build genuine suspense. Lots of great detail and splashy, wild colors help to enhance all of that in fantastic ways.