Dead Inside #4 (comic) Review

Dead Inside has brought us some great twists and turns in the murder mystery genre. Let’s see what John Arcudi has in store for us next.

For those of you who may have missed our previous coverage, we have #1 & #2, #3, and a brief interview with the author John Arcudi.

Dark Times

It is only fitting that Dead Inside #4 begin with a syringe.
Issue #3 closed with retired detective Arlo Sten wrapped his lips around a pistol and said goodnight. Now there are more questions and less leads. Detective Caruso certainly has her hands full. A sliver of a silver lining, is that now she has the full support from the Sherriff’s Department.

Finally realizing what sort of mess they are really in, her Lieutenant is acknowledging Caruso as lead on this prison murder case, and asking where to go from here.

Following Leads

Caruso’s first lead takes her back to Jezebel’s Place, a strip club and location of Sten’s retirement party. The detectives have to start piecing together what happened. But even that causes more questions, like how a Correctional Officer can squirrel away over ten thousand dollars for a retirement party of exotic dancers? Add to that, these guys were no dumbies.

No sooner does Detective Caruso get acknowledged as lead on this case, her superiors determine otherwise, for jurisdictional purposes.

Once the attitudes have settled, the detectives determine they need another search of the prison based on new evidence. Evidence that reveals a date, which is also the date of the warden’s youngest daughter.

Needless to say, the warden is not happy, nor is he cooperating. Neither are his officers. Leaving the sherriff’s department to search among full cafeterias and other questionable situations.

One of the sherriffs notices a vent grate with some string covered by tape. Obviously he was not supposed to find this minor detail, because it launches quite a scuffle. When the officer finally has his attacker on the ground, and begins to survey his surroundings, and asks who’s next, when he hears shots fired.

What’s Next

BAM! BAM! BAM! Quite the way to leave your reader hanging. It’s no suprise to find a shiv in a prison, but to have a pistol concealed really takes some work. Someone is either paid off, or careless. Either way, this rabbit hole keeps getting deeper. They found an bank account linking payments, great. However, that doesn’t take care of everything.

Dead Inside #4

Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Toni Fejzula
Colorist: Andre May
Cover Artist: Dave Johnson