Last month’s issue ended with one hell of a cliffhanger. This week, Postal shows us the fallout resulting from Molly’s impromptu batting practice session with Maggie’s head. Is it good?
Postal #11 (Image Comics)
The Plot
- If you didn’t know Molly was a stone cold sociopath, seeing her talk to her dad on the phone would seem sweet.
- Mayor Shiffron needs to get it together.
- Mark needs a hug :(
- Wow. Molly doesn’t waste any time finding Mark and letting him know what’s up.
- “That is hate on my face” will now be my standard response any time someone asks me why I’m giving them the stink eye.
- Agent Bremble’s backstory just became all types of tragic/disturbing.
- Once again, Mayor Shiffron needs to get it together.
- Mark and Molly conversations are simultaneously raw and completely surreal.
- *Fist pumps in celebration of Mark’s dogged determination*
Is It Good?
For those of you who are not children of the 90’s like me, you may not recognize the song that we’ve seen Molly singing throughout this arc. It’s Possession by Sarah McLachlan, which she wrote from the perspective of two obsessed fans who were not only stalking her, but fantasized that they were already in a relationship with her, as well.
Kind of messed up, right? Makes those ASPCA commercials she does seem tame by comparison. Here’s an embed of the song, which is worth listening to not only because it’s good, but because of how the lyrics relate to Molly.
The part Molly sings when Mark meets her near her trailer is particularly haunting.
‘Cause nothing stands between us here…that I won’t be denied…
She is fixated on Mark, but not in a detached or desperate why. In fact, Molly is fully aware of her obsession. She just doesn’t see an issue with it. Mark represents a challenge. A person who doesn’t outwardly express his emotions, but still carries them as strongly (or stronger) than all the other people she so easily affects.
To a sociopath, especially one as self-aware and ruthless as Molly, this represents fascinating and elusive prize. Her ability to dominate people and draw out their emotions has finally found a force that not only resists her, but pushes back, as well.
And speaking of Mark, writer Bryan Hill continues to write him perfectly. For those of you who don’t believe that people with Asperger syndrome behave like he does, I would highly encourage you to read Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Aspergers by John Elder Robison (the dude who designed the special effects guitars for KISS). It’s a dead-on accurate description of what people with Aspergers experience, especially with regards to their daily interactions with people.
Mark is definitely on the far end of the spectrum, but his behavior is by no means unrealistic. Hill does a masterful job portraying it, from the small details (like arranging the food on his plate into an ordered row) to his struggle with properly expressed emotions and feelings that the rest of us take for granted.
Hill’s script is enhanced even further by the continued wonderful work of Isaac Goodhart (pencils) and Betsy Gonia (colors). Goodhart’s pencils in particular have continued to get sharper and more defined as the series goes on, allowing him to portray a wide and nuanced array of emotions in the supporting cast.
There’s not a whole lot of action this issue, but that’s forgivable since we get two conversations between Molly and Mark. Their dialogue crackles with tension and malice. And while Mark continues to win our hearts, Molly has quickly established herself as an unequivocally terrifying presence.
No mail pun this week. Just go buy Postal. You won’t be disappointed (but Molly will sure as heck make sure you feel unsettled).
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