RUMBLE SOUL WITHOUT PITY PT. IV: DEAD SOULS
Writer John Arcudi, artist David Rubin, and colorist Dave Stewart pick right up where they left off in “Soul Without Pity PT.III.” Beginning to bring the story to a close, this penultimate issue is filled with a morose vibe, stemming from both the plot and the knowledge that this run is coming to an end soon.
After being accidentally shot by a gun-toting, esu-hunting psycho named Bruce, Bobby, one of the few humans Rathraq has taken a liking to, is raced to a hospital by his friend Timah, while Rathraq and Bobby’s friend Del argue over who’s going to make sure Bobby makes it to the hospital. During the argument, Del and Rathraq cut each other deeply with their words, which leads the two to do a bit of soul searching.
Spurred by something Del says, Rathraq takes off in a hurry to search for a powerful esu, an ancient monster-like creature that hides in plain sight, who may hold the key to where his heart is, so his body can be returned to its former glory. Del, feeling guilty about what has happened to Bobby, makes his way to the hospital to make sure his friend is ok.
After confronting an esu that has eluded his grasp before, Rathraq makes his way to the hospital to check on Bobby. Being told of the things Bobby has seen during his out of body experience, Rathraq takes a moment to reflect on himself.
Arcudi has done nothing short of writing perfectly in his issue. With a continuous flow from one issue to the next, there’s no question as to what’s going on. While the storyline is amazing, it’s the dialogue between the characters, especially between Rathraq and Del and the final scene between Rathraq and Bobby, that sets this book off, and gives it the ominous feeling. Even though Rathraq doesn’t have a physical heart, Arcudi has given him a strong pulse.
How do you make a scarecrow look like it just had an existential moment? Ask David Rubin. Rubin, once again, steps up to the plate on this issue and delivers a grand slam. Most panels hardly need dialogue; he captures the expressions so well you know what they’re thinking. Add that with the ethereal feel of the afterlife, mixed with both gargantuan and miniscule esu monsters roaming around, and toss in panels of flashbacks, it seems there isn’t much he can’t do.
Colorist Dave Stewart shades each panel perfectly, capturing the mood of the individual character and their surroundings. Faded yet bright, there is a lot going on without being overwhelming. Stewart is bringing the pages to life in a spectacular fashion, adding to the feeling of despair that seems to ooze from each panel.
While seeming like a fairly short issue, going back and reading it again reveals that a whole lot goes on in a short amount of time; it doesn’t feel rushed, however. The trio of Arcudi, Rubin, and Stewart remain true and on point in this fourth issue of Soul Without Pity. With this being the next to last issue of this series, seeing how they wrap it up should hold avid readers attention.
