Sparta U.S.A. #4

Written by David Lapham
Art by Johnny Timmons

With two issues to go, Lapham continues to keep most of the big picture to himself, and keeps readers as confused as many of the citizens of Sparta are at the end of this issue.

It seems most everyone in the town is scheming in one way or another.  Johnny Franks is after Godfrey's football records, and is probably planning on betraying the returned hero.  At the same time, Wanda, Godfrey's wife, seems to be chasing her own agenda, and has something to do with Johnny's girlfriend's suicide.  And then, at the very end of the issue, we learns something totally unexpected about the Maestro, who has remained hidden since the second issue.

This is a deeply strange series, as Lapham portrays a deeply strange image of an American small town set in isolation in a world that is very different from our own.  I've been enjoying his writing on this book a great deal, and like Timmons's artwork.