This week sees the release of the fourth and final issue of The Masked Macher series from Dark Horse. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the finale since I finished the first issue.
After three issues, David A. Goodman had left us with a lot of dangling mysteries. Who poisoned Mickey’s husband? Who is Mickey, really? Who murdered “Happy” Happenstein? Who has Benny been relaying this story to the entire time? And why does Benny speak so reverentially about Tony to this mystery confessor? Those were a lot of plot threads to wrap up in one issue, and I fully expected Goodman to leave some of his world a mystery. So, did we get answers in this concluding chapter? Not really. Is that a bad thing? Hopefully not.
Goodman delivers another solidly written and funny adventure with the characters we’ve come to love. Mickey and her aura of grouchiness got me to laugh out loud multiple times in the book. After presenting a more sinister side to Tony’s quest for fame in the previous chapter, I felt sorry for him in this issue, as his journey takes a depressing turn that evokes old Hollywood stories set in this era such as “Sunset Boulevard.” This is a Tony who understands better the fleeting admiration of the public and is currently contemplating giving up. After four issues, it’s clear that Tony’s entire being is wrapped up in his desire for fame and fortune without which he is nothing; he has no worth without success. Fortunately, Tony’s friends – Luisa, Joe, and Benny – decide to save him from himself, an act of kindness I doubt he appreciated. Benny’s story is greatly expanded upon here, as well, as the bear recovers from his addiction thanks to Wang’s intervention. Alex Andres brings all of this to life in his panels. We can feel Tony’s hesitation in choosing his new “path.” Andres also uses Tony’s body language and posture to portray a man who is on the edge of giving up hope. I also enjoyed Andres’ designs for Tony’s fellow attendees of the Gentleman’s Club, each man evoking a different genre of old Hollywood.
All of this adds up to a compelling chapter and misadventure for our characters, but did we, the readers, get more answers or a definitive ending? Not really. The mystery of Mickey’s husband’s poisoning takes a turn that leads to a possible series-ending cliffhanger. A startling event Mickey may have set in motion. This leaves us questioning Mickey’s motivations and her apparent surprise in the final panels. We are given a few clues as to the possible profession of Benny’s interviewer, but his identity remains unknown. The other mysteries, such as “Happy” Happenstein’s murder in the second issue, are dismissed as unsolvable gangland-related violence at some point in the issue. Mickey’s full identity and past remain a mystery, which is fine because it adds to the character’s mystique. But Tony’s fate is left very open ended.
Our only hope as readers to get a conclusion to this story is for Dark Horse to continue the series with a sequel. Overall, this has been an enjoyable read and a fun world to escape to every comic book Wednesday. The characters are engaging, and each issue is full of guaranteed laughs. In the end, I agree with Benny who says, “As you can see, there’s more to this story…” and I will be eagerly awaiting what comes next.
Creative Team: David A. Goodman (writer), Alex Andres (artist), Gonzalo Duarte (colorist), Mauro Mantella (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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