Advance Review: Hell Comes To Earth In `The Roadie’ #4
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
The Roadie concludes its limited run with a hellish battle between demons, an 80s-era rock band singer and his former roadie. While there’s plenty of action, the story’s conclusion occasionally gets bogged down with too much dialogue. The visuals, though, are consistently eye-popping – in a good way!
Overall
8/10Just in time for Christmas, it’s…the Satan?
The limited series about a 1980s roadie that fought the demons accidently summoned by rock bands concludes with an epic battle between the ultimate big bad and a would-be usurper. It turns out the roadie Joe D. was just a pawn in this chess game from hell. His daughter Shelby, who has been hunted throughout the series, plays the critical role in the series.
Revealing much more of the plot would lead to spoilers, though it’s safe to say that in addition to the main battle royale, Joe D. and band former front man Christian Mass – who has betrayed Joe and Shelby in a pact with a demon – finally come to blows as well.
Writer Tim Seeley has had fun with this series from the beginning, including the penning the lyrics to band Mass Acre’s fictional hit Satan for Sale. He lets loose even more in this issue, which is complete with the Satan (in world of The Roadie, Satan is a title, not a supernatural being) headlining a concert. Still, the issue is surprisingly burdened by a bit too much dialogue at times. When dealing with the devil and demons, sometimes it’s best to get out of the way and let them go at it.
Artist Fran Galan, on the other hand, pull no demonic punches in this installment. He depicts se’irims, succubi and zebubs with hellish pleasure. And he makes the most of the big battle at the end, which is a great payoff for readers who have waited for the big fight.
The Roadie is ultimately a fun exploration of the consequences of our bad behavior in the 80s. While it never takes itself too terribly seriously – all the characters fire off zingers in the most stressful situations – it’s a nice bit of nostalgia for those of us who lived through the time period.
The Roadie #4 will be available for purchase on Wednesday.
