Switchblade Stories #4 is a comic created by Chris Askham. In this issue Darla May adjusts to her new life in prison. This part of the story takes place six months after the last issue and the only familiar face we see is that of Darla. But we do get introduced to some interesting characters including the leader of the prison named Barb, Darla’s cellmate Janey, and a prison guard whose name I didn’t catch. This plot doesn’t veer too far off the path of most stories that involve a protagonist(I use that lightly) going to prison but it’s a good read just the same. And remember, this takes place sometime in the 50’s or 60’s so you get the vibes. There isn’t too much action here but when it happens it is a big deal, and it usually features blood. If you’ve seen old black-and-white films or shows then you know exactly how these characters talk. This also means that pretty much everything is easy to understand. A few pages do get word heavy but it isn’t story disrupting. Overall this is entertaining story starring a character that normally plays second fiddle. There are some bonus stories, mini-comics, and in-world ads after the conclusion of the main story.

            This comic is drawn in an early pulpy style with the coloring done in dots like they used to. And the pages of the comic have smudges and other discolorations on it as if you were holding it in your hand. The main location is obviously a prison so you’ll see bars and gray walls but the background tends to fade out during scenes so it’s just a step above an establishing shot sometimes. Expressiveness here might barely be average but that is due to the detail of the faces. The below-average detail. But the reason for that is due to the style. And I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of face sameness, but the faces lack enough detail to significantly differentiate. As mentioned above the action is bloody and lightly gruesome, with the scenes flowing very clearly.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes.

“Would I like this?”

If you like pulpy tales of criminal women this is exactly what you are looking for. And for those of you looking for LGBT stories.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

R. Blood with a side of blood.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“I can’t help but notice you’ve been having a little trouble lately.”

 

Purchase Link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1237102745/switchblade-stories-4

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/managementproject/switchblade-stories-issues-1-to-4/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 25

Violent Pages: 8, for 28% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 1, for 3% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 3

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 3

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 2

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 1

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”