The Fourth Man

It’s January 24th, 1991, in Medford, Pennsylvania, and three bodies have just found their way to the local coroner’s office.  Detectives Dyer and Harvey have shown up to hear the coroner’s analysis of the bodies and causes of death for James Wells, Shane Wyatt, and Charles “Chuckie” Hayworth.  This serves as a setup for the story to flash back and show us how each man met their untimely end as they were all connected in a rivalry between two car dealerships that obviously turned deadly.  How did things get this bad?  One word:  Subcontracting.

“The Fourth Man” comes to us from Jeff McComsey, a writer I’m not familiar with, and artist Mike Deodato Jr., an artist who I like.  It promised a page-turning murder mystery that would keep you guessing and it delivered in that regard.  McComsey tells the story in  an efficient manner, keeping things focused on the twisting plot and multiple-flashback execution in a way that’s more involving than confusing.  He also does a good job of letting the story’s darkly comic elements evolve naturally rather than hit you over the head with them.

Though he was impressively miscast on “Not All Robots…” Deodato Jr. is on much better form here in detailing a grounded small-town aesthetic.  For someone who has made his name in depicting big, splashy superhero action, he sells the characters and their drama quite well here.  Desperation is effectively conveyed, as is the  duplicity and arrogance we see on the main characters’ faces and in their actions.  I do wish that the ending was a bit more clear-cut as the ambiguity it ends on is more deflating than exciting.  Still, “The Fourth Man” is an entertaining slice of crime fiction that’s worth its $10 cover price.