HYDE STREET #6: Mob Mentality

Hyde Street #6: Pranky has found out that Miss Goodbody has plotted against him and has taken revenge against her. Meanwhile, Mr. X-Ray is working out the perfect plan to bring Pranky down, one that involves a thoughtless mob and a lot of guilt.

Creative Team:

Geoff Johns (CREATOR and WRITER) Ivan Reis (CREATOR and COVER) Francis Portela (ARTIST) Brad Anderson (COLORS and COVER) Rob Leigh (LETTERS) Danny Miki (COVER)

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

Geoff is bringing things together as the previous issues were building this horrifying and sadistic world that the team is playing in. The stark personalities and desires that every character we have met on Hyde Street so far is coming into play as Mr. X-Ray has begun to put a plan in motion against Pranky. I will say I am not condoning violence but, Geoff has made me book my own ticket to Hyde Street to also join in on destroying Pranky. As far as antagonists go, Pranky has become the perfect blend of clever and a-hole.

Another standout in this issue is the amount of current cultural relevancy this issue has. Miss Goodbody has her body dysmorphia but, the crew of tourists on the bus. I can’t help but feel perhaps Geoff was blowing off some steam when they met their demise. (Kidding.) The way they acted towards the bus driver and their demand to get to their destination faster on top of the refusal to take the blame for the accident because they were not driving. It all speaks to the issues society is facing and the selfishness that has gripped us which is why I am loving the beats in this issue.

The Visuals:

Francis and Brad do a great job detailing Pranky into having one of the most punchable faces we have seen in a comic. From the get-go when he squashes the parasite the way Francis draws the gooey mess and the purple colors Brad brings texture to these panels. The visuals continue to be standout as the bus speeding along and the way they craft that sequence to make it feel as though the bus is truly moving off page will always blow my mind as someone who has no artistic ability.

When the duo switches to black and white as Mr. X-Ray sets forth his plan, there is not a shortage of detail and it allows our imagination to fill in blanks. When Rob letters the passengers screaming at the poor bus driver I even began to feel like I was being yelled at. Visually Ghost Machine is taking the comic book game to an entirely new level with their books and Hyde Street is the perfect example.

Overall Grade: 10/10

The Ghost Machine crew has done a terrific job giving us a character to loathe and hate in Pranky which then causes us to excuse the faults of Mr. X-Ray and the other residents of Hyde Street. Between the visuals and Geoff’s work on the script, I cannot help but be immersed in this world and want to help bring this villain down. Hyde Street #6 has catapulted this run to perhaps my favorite horror run to date.

For more from Matt: http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews