Elk's Run #3

Elk's Run #3
Released by: Oni Press
Released on: September 9th, 2015.
Written by: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by: Noel Tuazon with Scott Keating
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The third chapter of Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon's tale of small town horror begins at breakfast - John, still wanting to get out of town despite his father's insistence that he stay - is having trouble hiding his feelings. His dad tells him he needs his help unloading the supply truck in town but the subject of the public execution they all witness and many of them took part in cannot be avoided.

There is, not surprisingly, a family blow out but his parents, John and Sara, agree that there are more important things to deal with at the moment. Sara heads out and encourages the other women in town to get ready for the truck. There's clearly tension between she and the other women, one named Linda in particular.

A few minutes later, some cops show up. They're looking for Arnold Huld. Sara tells the cops that he and his family moved away but they tell her that his wife just called and that the reason they're poking around is because she reported him missing. Sara tells the cops she'll meet them outside and walk them over, telling the other women to get ready for the truck and to let her husband know what is going on. Along the way Sara and the cops spy her son John with his friends Matty and Adam. They're on their way to help with the truck.

They arrive at the house and the cops go in, they make Sara wait at the end of the driveway. Her husband shows up, sends her off to get the 'extra supplies' off of the truck quickly and quietly. Sara shows up, busts her son talking to an older girl and promptly puts a stop to it. Then her husband shows up with the cops…

You kind of know how this issue is going to end before it does, but that doesn't lessen the impact of what happens and there are some interesting touches, such as the smile on Sara's face when she sees her husband take charge of a bad situation, that give all of this a creepy slant. Obviously those complacent in the murder of Arnold Huld need to cover that up, but the extent to which they will go to do that and the timing involved in making that happen… well, circumstances dictate what needs to be done and that's that. If everyone is guilty, will anyone rat?

Some cool stuff happens in this issue, the kind of stuff that makes you want to keep reading. Fialkov does small town terror really well, crafting a story that is realistic enough that you have no trouble accepting it for what it is, but that's suspenseful and disturbing enough to get under your skin just a little bit. As it should, this issue builds on what came before it and lays down some interesting foreshadowing as to where all of this is going to end up. If young John wants to get out of town, he's going to have his work cut out for him. The art from Noel Tuazon with Scott Keating continues to compliment the writing really nicely. Great, thick, heavy line work and interesting use of color ensure that this is a series that looks as good as it reads. Bring on chapter four!