Postal Vol. 1

Because COVID-19 has caused a major disruption in new comic books, for the next few weeks Scoop will reexamine issues, runs, trades, and titles that are already available. We’ll take a look at perennial classics, current titles we are enjoying, significant runs, and our overall favorite books to suggest some new reading material or inspire fellow comic fans to dust off the old favorites. And if you live near a comic shop that’s still open during this time, we hope our suggestions will prompt you to check out their back issue and collected edition inventory.

Postal Vol. 1
Image; $9.99

Postal is set in the town of Eden, Wyoming, an off the map place where people are private and live simple lives. They are also entirely made of criminals who have problems with authority and impulse control, so Eden is less like a sanctuary than a carefully controlled zoo filled with predators.

They function through a delicate system of zero tolerance for criminal activity, which works until the first murder is committed in 25 years. The only person living in Eden who is not a criminal is the mayor’s son Mark, a young man with Asperger syndrome who serves as the town’s mail carrier and is their best bet for solving the crime.

Created by Matt Hawkins, Bryan Hill, and Isaac Goodhart, Postal is a well crafted comic for readers who enjoy non-superhero titles. It’s a mystery with slice of life thrown in and elements of horror that can be artistically eerie or shocking.

In a town of hotheads and intimidation experts, Mark does not allow emotions to overrule rationale, making him an anomaly in his community. In the first volume (which began in February 2015) and the several that follow, Mark has outsmarted several dangerous characters becoming a powerful figure in his town.

–Amanda Sheriff