REVIEW: AFTERSCHOOL #4

3.43/5.0 Stars
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: R

Creative Team:

Writer: Leon Hendrix III
Artist: Eric Zawadzki
Colors: Fabiana Mascolo
Letters: Pat Brosseau 
Cover: Veronica Fish
Editor: Amanda LaFranco and Jon Moisan
Publisher: Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment 

Ratings:

Story: 3.6 Stars
Artwork: 3.4 Stars
Cover Artwork: 3.3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Mechanics: 3.4 Stars
Editing: 3.4 Stars 

About the Book:

Mr. Kelly is an instructor at Blackbriar’s High School. He has a unique perspective to see how the promises we tell our children are lies. Just because you put in the work or study hard, you’re not guaranteed anything. It’s an ongoing circle of life. Mr. Kelly decides to form a club for the students. In this club everyone helps each other to achieve their dreams and find their purpose. What started out as a great team building exercise has started to turn violent. Can Mr. Kelly put a stop to his creation now that the wheels have been put into motion?

Reader’s Notes:

Afterschool #4 truly hits the nail on the head when it comes to describing life for high school students. After all of the work you put in you may not be popular. You may not be valedictorian. That spot on the varsity team that you earned may go to someone else because they have a rich/famous uncle.

At the end of those four years you’re expected to go to college. There you’re going to incur a crippling amount of debt in hopes of getting a job that pays well enough to make it worthwhile. This is life. We need more clubs like we saw in the story. Our youth need a support system to help them achieve their dreams.

Our school system also needs to hit the reset button and teach our kids what they need for life. I’m willing to bet that since 98 percent of my graduating class from high school has not solved a quadratic equation outside of a college classroom or helping our kids with their homework. Making a core class requirement that includes things like grocery shopping on a budget, basic automotive maintenance, and the dangers of credit card interest wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

I like how subtle this cover is. The artwork doesn’t necessarily jump out at you. It’s  like those pictures online with the “When you see it…”. I saw it. I’m curious how many others did.

The artwork on the interior pages is well done. We get the perfect amount of detail. With every panel the reader’s attention is directed exactly where Zawadzki wants it.

As a geek on a budget I think everyone should read Afterschool #4. It’s Fight Club: High School Edition while reminding the world that our kids are dealing with some tough challenges. Our kids need all the help they can get.