Indie Comic Review: The Closing Hour

Ultimately, great stories are about relationships. The dynamic between two people can cause tension and drama that makes for an entertaining read. It's all a matter of how to manipulate that tension to create a great story. For a romance story, that tension is love. For a comedy, that tension is humor. For a crime comic, the tension needs to be animosity. The Closing Hour excels at this by using the past as a ghost. Past events are never depicted or even fully revealed, but enough information is given to infer why the two main characters fight each other. This allows the story to focus wisely on the moment rather than get distracted with a larger plot. 

The story is about a butcher who is recognized by an insurance salesman. The butcher tries to convince the salesman that he made a mistake. That he isn't the man he recognizes from the past. But he offers to have a drink with him anyway. This was obviously meant to get the salesman alone so that he can kill him rather than have the salesman go back to his gangster boss and tell the butcher's secret. A fight breaks out, and the butcher is saved by the shop owner's son. The two of them then clean up the mess while reflecting on whether doing bad things can prevent you from being a good person. 

The pathos in the story is incredibly deep, accentuated by its atmospheric art. Similar to A History of Violence, the story explores trying to escape one's past and atone for sins that are always trying to chase you. It has real characters and genuine human moments that make for a compelling story. However, the plot isn't without its questionable developments. Both the salesman and the butcher could have handled their initial meeting a little differently that would have made more sense. Also, the dialect can be a little hard to read at times. But the comic's faults don't match up with its strengths, as crime fans can definitely find something to enjoy.