Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Joe Halpin Sr.
Artist: Juanfrancisco Moyano
Release Date: 5th March 2014

Gate-way is the story of an undercover cop, Jake, who takes a slug to the chest when a drug deal goes wrong and wakes up in an alley in a decaying city. A decaying city in purgatory. As we enter Issue #3 of this macabre tale of the afterlife, our main protagonist Jake exists through the gates of the safe Hopetown and into the unpredictable Freedom Town. Despite its name, Freedom Town has promised to provide us with savages, prostitutes and the black eyed soulless…and it doesn’t disappoint.

Jake’s initial wander through Freedom Town displays everything that was promised, with added ninja’s. There is still plenty of mystery to keep this series interesting while character and story development remain strong. The tension between Jake and Freedom Town’s unofficial leader promises to build up into a blowout worth the cover price alone. This issue also closes with an ending that would pull on the heartstrings of even the coldest hearted reader.

The art remains strong and unchanged from Issues 1&2, there are still the bold, thick lines running throughout which gives the issue a cartoon-esque atmosphere while never transcending into childlike territory. The colours are still dipped in all shades of grey, giving purgatory the dreary atmosphere it should have.

Rating: 3/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Blair Stevenson
You can also find Blair on Twitter.