Comic Review: Farmhand #10

Farmhand #10

Image Comics

Writer and Penciller: Rob Guillory

Colors: Taylor Wells

Rob Guillory’s Farmhand #10 concludes the book’s “second season”. Usually, when a book reaches around ten issues I begin to wonder about its longevity. Is this heading somewhere? Am I interested enough to even find out? More often than not, I find that answer to be no, and I tend to move on pretty quickly. Farmhand is different, as each issue ramps up the intrigue and character drama just enough to always leave me wanting more. Issue 10 is no exception. 

Interestingly, I find the plot to be genuinely compelling, while at the same time finding myself somewhat disinterested in the literal body horror of it all. I think that’s a testament to the book’s real strength; depth of character. The body horror is just a vehicle to demonstrate the effects of the lying and wrongdoing that Jedidiah is mostly responsible for. The infections are essentially a visual metaphor that serves as a reminder of his lies and his treatment of people. Those feelings grow and fester, eventually blowing up not just in Jed’s face, but everyone close to him. Most notably, in the faces of the protagonist and his family.

Jedediah isn’t even in this issue, and yet the infected townspeople never let you forget who’s responsible. We see these events through Zeke’s eyes, and it allows the situation to not appear so black and white. He hopes his dad isn’t the villain he seems to be, and in turn so does the reader. It makes Zeke’s search for the truth infinitely more relatable. 

This is all made possible by Guillory’s strong singular vision. It feels wrong to say that he’s the writer and artist because it’s more accurate to say that he is simply the storyteller. His art tells the story, and his dialogue exemplifies it and adds specificity. His pages are brimming with detail and thought. As the book is not very action-packed, it’s fairly dependent on conversation. This makes it necessary that Guillory demonstrate the feeling and flow of a conversation through his art. Remove the dialogue, and you should still understand who is feeling what. Unsurprisingly, he absolutely nails this. Though, when there is action, it’s also incredibly dynamic and clear. 

I especially love the portrayal of the protagonist’s marriage in this series and particularly in this issue. There’s been a point of tension between them for a few issues now, and in this issue, it’s solved through the two of them speaking to each other like adults. It’s not a fabrication for the sake of drama, it’s real and honest, and clearly comes from a place of experience. Guillory puts a lot of thought into this scene and actually ends up using it to push the overall plot forward in a satisfying way. As good as the scene as it is on its own, it’s made more impressive by the way he uses it as a framing device to reveal a huge piece of the overall puzzle. 

Farmhand #10 is an emotionally satisfying conclusion to this arc. I appreciate how understated it is as an ending. It could have tried to go big and cracked under its own weight, but it instead opts to go small. The emotional climax to the story is just a conversation between two people in a bed, and it’s wonderful. Farmhand is a unique and incredibly well-crafted book, and it would be in your best interest to catch up before season three. 

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