Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4 Review

What goes up, must come down. This issue, Butcher falls. Hard! Today I will be reviewing Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4

So let’s talk about the book. This issue focuses on Butcher’s loss. Still speaking to his dead father before his funeral, Butcher continues to recall his past. He remembers his brother’s funeral, after his brother was accidentally hit by a bus. He remembers having a discussion about children with Becky but parking the conversation for a future day. He talks about the trip they took to Florida, where they saw the Seven for the first time and how after that trip was over, something was wrong with Becky.  Then, one morning, he wakes up to find his wife dead, and a super powered baby floating in the air. In a fit of rage and fear, Butcher attacks and kills the baby. And that’s the book.

So let’s talk opinions. Wow. Even I did not see that one coming. Holy freaking crap. This issue was one of the most shocking ones I have read in a long time. I knew that Becky died at the hands of a super, and that Butcher blamed the Homelander in particular. I just had no clue that it would turn into this. I’m guessing that one of the Seven, probably the Homelander, heard what Becky said and decided to teach her a lesson. Rape is definitely a touchy subject, and I’m extremely happy we weren’t exposed to actually seeing it, but this is definitely a new area for the Boys. There’s been plenty of sexual stuff and weird shit over the course of the title, but we have never really had rape until this issue. (Except during Herogasm, when Hughie had that encounter with Black Noir) Maybe it was Black Noir, and not the Homelander who raped Becky. What the hell is the Black Noir’s powers anyway? Does anyone know? In any case, I now understand Butcher’s complete and total hatred of supers. Not only did they take away his wife and possible future children, they also ripped out his soul. This was a tremendous bit of writing on Garth Ennis’ part. I really hate the supers as much as Butcher does right now. Those last few pages were actually quite disturbing to look at. Drawn incredibly well, and not holding back anything at all, the image of the baby was hauntingly real. I have no idea where this story is going from here, but this issue will stay burned in my mind for a long time. And not in a good way. That’s my opinion folks. Take it or leave it.

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Tags: Butcher Dynamite Comics Garth Ennis The Boys