Jose Villarrubia really earns his keep on this issue. The postapocalyptic grey bleakness that defined the last arc so well gets exponentially bleaker here, making it all the more striking when a bright red sky or a spray of blood — and believe me, there’s a lot of blood in this issue — splashes out at you. That red is a flashing warning sign that shit is getting real, and if the first issue of the new arc is any indication, shit is about to get very real in the Sweet Tooth universe.

The different parts of the story are starting to fire on all cylinders, and the scene is apparently set for a big confrontation between the militia and the hybrid-worshipping cultists, who we haven’t seen much of so far. I won’t spoil the ending of the issue, but let’s say that when Jepperd tracks the cultists down, even he looks astonished at what he finds. We get some outstanding action in this issue and good momentum for things to come, so stay tuned.