5 out of 5

My man Merrick, going fer BROKE!

Unleashed from the origin story requirement of the previous arc, writer Tom Ward really gets to laser focus this two-part story, which again shows his insane skills at taking traditional storyline pitches and whipping them into page-flipping funhouses.  In The Gambler’s Cards, we have the devil-grants-your-wish setup, with a Treves-tasked Merrick fetching a set of enchanted cards and then finding himself in a dream world in which he’s not only no longer deformed, but also a beloved, world-gallivanting adventurer and scientist.  The pulp action goes insane – and just like Ward’s story precision makes this awesome, the same goes for Luke Parker’s art, which can narrate uninterrupted for two books of delightfully effective pages.  Aaaand as good as Parker’s colors were in the first few issues, it’s even keener here, finding a faded palette that works wonders for the surreal world in which the Elephantman finds himself.

The ending of our tale is especially effective; once more, not breaking any new story barriers, but Ward has has so fully inhabited these characters that the words he has them speak and think (and the emotions Parker depicts them with) carries much weight.

I demand more.