Trish Sullivan and Harvey Harlowe finally have their showdown (heh) in the thrilling, cathartic final issue of the series.
Let’s talk about SHOWDOWN #5 by Dave Wielgosz, Tadd Galusha, Tríona Farrell & Clayton Cowles (IGNITION PRESS).
SHOWDOWN #5 by Dave Wielgosz, Tadd Galusha, Tríona Farrell & Clayton Cowles (IGNITION PRESS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
This is it. Trish and Harvey are finally going to have it out.
After four issues of soul-searching, bar fights, and intergenerational trauma, Trish and Harvey are back where the series began: the front yard of the fiery blaze that was once the Harlowe home.
In the two days leading up to the fight, the pair have undergone an almost spiritual transformation. After being set straight by his ex-girlfriend, Laura, and after Big Tim told him how he really feels, Harvey has let go of any notion that he’ll ever be accepted in his hometown. He’s embraced being the pariah.
Trish realized that her attempts to shield Michael from the terrible circumstances the two were in with their family blinded her to how Michael truly was and to the problems she couldn’t save him from.
Now, the two are here, beating the ever-living dogshit out of each other. It’s swift and bloody, yet ultimately cathartic as the pair give it everything they have, both ready to die.
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Dave Wielgosz gives us a grounded, brutal story that’s narrow in focus yet wide in scope. Trish and Harvey are the stars, but South Harmon is full of interesting characters, all affected by that terrible night at Laura’s house. He manages to fit small-town drama, unresolved grief, and intergenerational trauma into a five- issue series about a man and woman throwing hands to the death.
Tadd Galusha’s art and Triona Farell’s colors amplify South Harmon’s problems and characters, turning this mundane world into a colorful, violent one. Trish and Harvey’s fight is ugly, and the two artists make sure you feel everything they do to each other.
FINAL GRADE: 8.9
Dave Wielgosz and Tadd Galusha have packed a subtly dense drama on family, grief, and finding peace into a series about two people beating the shit out of each other. Both of them need to work together more often. Showdown is brutal, and it’s fucking awesome.
Let me know your thoughts on Showdown #5 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!