Of Alcatraz, it was a punishing book for constant escalation, terrible murder, and the ever-present existence of imprisonment.
It was amazing.
But it feels like there’s no way to put things together with five issues. Each of the first four issues has to be cleared more and more layers of hurdles to provide what feels like a meaningful and powerful resolution. Each twist seemed to scream to yell for the other issues.
oni Press
What I didn’t consider to be a grindhouse type story is a cartoon that, like the ancestors of films from the late 1960s and early 1970s, did not promise a clean, orderly conclusion. Throughout the fifth run, the book talks about fate and fear, the prison system, American customs, sexuality and the cruelty of life in race. There are no clean resolutions in the way that you live here. Our whole cast was incarcerated, from the fugitives in our prison to ‘pass’ as white for mortgage agreements, to the whole cast of our prison, to the gay lawyers tightly locked up in the closet, our whole cast of crime was trying to ‘pass’ as white. And no matter how much you run out of prison, the threat of returning there is too great.
Issue 5 of the series does not open the main character’s door. It slaps them tightly and eventually closes. Even the promise of escape has been shown to lead to a dead end. You can’t overtake your own troubles. You can’t overtake yourself.
Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook provided strong and harsh traits that could stand with era-friendly stories like Fire Point, Dirty Mary, and Crazy Rally (except car stunts). Cantwell’s script is tighter until its violence and fear closes it all, and the reader is satisfied with what tragic release is not being given.
As often happens when Tyler Crook is involved, true stars are beautiful, painful artwork. While the super-expressed face tells a huge story, Broadvista expresses a sad landscape. The lush painted panels become a kind of cartoonish thing. It is almost believed that if draftmanship works just as well, it will be layered on top of a stunning brushwork. It’s a visual sight.
This final issue of Out Out Alcatraz leaves a lasting impact on readers. Everything that the tension is released, no matter how sleazy, feels like some kind of sad endorphin rush. That’s stunning.
“Out of alcatraz #5” is a tragic and powerful release
From Alcatraz #5
After a race to a tense, layered conclusion, Alcatraz #5 offers a release, but it may be tragic.
The series concludes with a classic cinema atmosphere.
Crook’s indelible artwork.
It may feel like you’re crushing it on some people.
