Parting Ways At Atlanta: ‘Kill Whitey Donovan #4’ Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Anna remembers when she first practiced amputation on a dead body with her father and those memories haunt her as she observes her own wounds in the present. Meanwhile, Hattie talks to a freeman named Oracle Jones. As it turns out, Oracle knew Hattie’s mom, Beatrice. He claims to have known Beatrice well and he says he can even help Hattie find Beatrice in the North. The conversation is interrupted when a raging dog arrives, soon followed by Tyson the slave-hunter. Hattie, Anna, and Oracle need to run.
Kill Whitey Donovan #4 finds Hattie questioning whether Anna has what it takes to complete her mission of vengeance and whether she can stay with Anna through it.
Oracle Jones, true to his name, claims to be a man of knowledge. He doesn’t believe Anna has what it takes to hunt down and kill Whitey Donovan and his knowledge offers Hattie a chance to abandon this fool’s errand and find a different path to her mother. He may be right in that first regard as well, as Anna’s actions and past don’t paint her as a cold-blooded killer.
Naturally, you do want Hattie to be able to find her mom and she doesn’t really owe anything to Anna. However, their bond has become an endearing one over the course of the series and a part of me does want to see Anna put Whitey Donovan down. It pits moral right and wrong against vengeful catharsis and that makes for a good tension.
Natalie Barahona continues to make this a uniquely gorgeous comic. The characters are expressive, the landscapes are beautiful, and the action scenes are tense. Her color work is smooth and vibrant, with each panel exploding with a lively palette.
Kill Whitey Donovan #4 brings a tense and emotional tale, with Hattie and Anna possibly parting ways already. Hattie wants to find her mother, but Anna is dedicated to completing her mission of vengeance. It’s a strong story accompanied by brilliant visuals and it earns a recommendation. Check this one out.
Kill Whitey Donovan #4 comes to us from writer Sydney Duncan, artist and variant cover artist Natalie Barahona, letterer Troy Peteri, and cover artist Jason Pearson.
Final Score: 8.5/10
