Elephantmen #38

Written by Richard Starkings
Art by Axel Medellin and Rob Steen

Another issue of Elephantmen, and we get much of the same of what we've been getting from this comic lately.  Basically, this series has fallen into a nice groove where each new issue is advancing Starking's general plot, and is working in a much more linear fashion than it used to.

This issue has a focus on Janis Blackthorne, the agent who has recently been working with usual main characters Hip Flask and Ebony Hide.  Blackthorne's past is recapped a little, before she is put into the field, where she manages to track down and confront Razorback, the human who has been going around wearing Tusk's skull and killing Elephantmen for the last few issues.  We also learn Razorback's identity (which wasn't really much of a surprise).

While this is all going on, we also learn a little about the inner workings of Obadiah Horn's home, and meet one of his disgruntled employees.  As well, Hip meets Miki's mother, which doesn't go the way any of them would have expected.

Axel Medellin's art continues to grow in leaps and bounds with each new issue, and he was already very good.  This issue has an almost painted quality to some of the pages, and generally looks great.

There is also the continuation of Rob Steen's story set in the early Mappo days (which is okay but is not really grabbing me), and another chapter of the back-up story Charly Loves Robots, which I've liked a lot since it started.  Elephantmen really delivers value for its $4 price tag.