Which is a worse fate- to have no answers for a tragedy or to have answers that bring no peace and just more strife?

What They Say:
The answers to Oxel’s mystery unfold in the one place he never thought to look. The grisly truth that two boys died to conceal is revealed at last.

The Review: (please note that content portions of review may contain spoilers)
With Jeff having perished in the snow it now seems that Oxel’s investigation has reached a similar final fate with the last possible witness to the events that lead to three deaths going to go as cold as the grave. With no answers to show for his work pounding the pavement while talking to as many of the family members who might have a clue as he could- whether they knew they did or were possibly hiding the answers- and no ability to face the friend who asked him to discover why her son died Oxel without them seems to be at the lowest point of a case that hasn’t had many bright spots. But sometimes the fates can be capricious as a contact he made while walking the streets and covering all his bases pays off with a major prize- a book that Jeremy was hiding that explained all of the events that had occurred.

As Oxel pages through the book though it looks like the fates may not be kind enough to provide their prize without requiring some form of compensation, and in this case that payment will be one that is taken out of a number of people’s souls and lives going forward. As he reads the book Oxel learns of the horrible secret that destroyed the three people who knew it and finds himself also having to make a similar decision- is he going to go to the authorities with the information he now possesses and watch as it tears apart someone he still has feelings for or will he keep the information to himself and risk it eating away at him as it did others when the information won’t save anyone at this point?

The conclusion to the mystery that launched the series arrives but much like the previous three issues how one sees this issue is going to depend greatly on one’s own perspective, and it will probably depend greatly on just how one reacts to a mystery that goes about its presentation in a way that is most different from how the majority of the works in a mystery genera choose to present themselves. For the most part mysteries tend to present their tale in such a way that the audience plays along with trying to discover the truth based on the clues that are left them (or watch how the culprit will be caught by the protagonist) and sorting out which are real clues and which are mis-directions meant to throw the audience off the path and keep them guessing.

In the case of The Creep however a deliberate choice was made to keep the audience as in the dark as the protagonist and to move the story forward in a way that plays far more closely to the twist and turns that likely hit real detectives than one that makes for the perfect narrative tale where the protagonist untangles all the leads and lies to discover the truth of the matter as opposed to showing off the importance that following every lead and making contacts that allow chance to provide the key that no amount of interrogation will be able to reveal in a more realistic world likely rewards. This is probably a choice that will split opinions even further than some of the earlier events in the story as the complete breaking with traditional storytelling may cause some to fall in love with the refreshing new take while others may feel that the sudden solution may come across as a bit too coincidental or even deus-ex-machina in its execution which leaves them wondering just why they went through the paces with Oxel meeting people who, in the final measure, really added nothing but possible questions to the whole sordid affair.

From my own standpoint this volume finally allowed me to connect with the protagonist as having missed the issue 0 that introduced him and his story had left me feeling off center throughout the previous three issues as I tried to catch up with what I felt was missing and might have been presented before and now wasn’t touched again. This volume though introduces a whole slew of moral and ethical complications as Oxel learns just what secret that lead two young boys to their death was and which precipitated Jeff’s turn for the worse in his mental condition. At the heart of the whole matter lies a moment that plays off the frailties of humanity with their impatience, desire to impress but also how far they can go to help those they care about, even when they know in their heart that those actions will carry a terrible price that truth could free them from.

The issue also raises questions about the legitimacy of loyalty and how far it should go as well also the fear that can overtake people when their past, particularly a past that is also not exactly one of the most sterling moments of societies past, comes into play with a horrible moment that creates an instant of panic that changes and shapes a response that could affect the rest of a person’s life when the stress of the moment and a need to go along with a solution, especially a horrible one, takes over. All of this boils together to present a picture of what can happen in a single, terrible moment when judgment lapses and when the fear of punishment causes people to act in a selfish manner that then carries a tremendous burden for everyone and which leaves that most terrible of questions to be hanging- what exactly is justice and what happens when it can’t save anyone?

In Summary:
The Creep’s mystery comes to a close as one of Oxel’s actions unexpectedly pays off when it seems that all hope for an answer to his case has been lost. But when the truth is revealed will the answers provide any relief for any of the cast- or even for the readers- or will there be a whole slew of new questions that the reader finds that they are faced with as well as some moral quandaries that have no clear answers? With this last issue the most unique mystery of the year comes to a close and leaves a path that will be talked about by many fans for years to come. Highly recommended.

Grade: A