The Butcher’s Boy has come to its bloody conclusion, and, boy, did it go in unexpected directions. The twist and turns on the page were only comparable to the twists and turns our characters felt in their bodies. Did Laundry Q. Walker and Panel Vaughn’s book wrap up everything nicely? Let’s find out.

Last month’s issue ended with the reveal that the Butcher’s Boy wasn’t a boy at all, but was Emma all along. The final flashback we get from this story is the reveal that Emma has been luring people to the town of La Perdita for years. Hans and Shyla wake up inside the mine, and Emma reveals how those who consumed the meat were put under spell. Hans was put under her spell while the were intimate, but in light of Shyla’s disdain for Emma, she was never ensnared. Instead, Emma puts blood on Shyla’s lips which allows her to start seeing what the rest of the group had witnessed. Wait until you see what happens from there…

Everyone is moving at full speed. Justin Greenwood’s art has been relatively calm in the intense situations that Walker and Vaughn have peppered throughout the script, but since the secrets have been revealed, the lid has been ripped off the subtleties. Brad Simpson’s colors really shine in this issue. The story takes a jump into cosmic horror and reveals that maybe this was low-key Lovecraftian all along. An ambiguous ending leaves this open for a sequel, but I think this wraps up pretty well. I’d be interested to see what they do next, but Walker and Vaughn have mined the stories out of La Perdita.

I think this will be a great read as a collected volume for the reader to consume at one time. Considering the size of our cast and the time jumps in the previous issues, I did have to read the issues more than once. All in all, it’s been a great ride.

Creative Team: Landry Q. Walker (writer), Pannel Vaughn (writer), Justin Greenwood (artist), Brad Simpson (colorist), Pat Brosseau (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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