Billed as a comic version of Fargo, Snow Day certainly ticks a lot of similar boxes, from the small-town wintery setting, the law-enforcing main character and the focus on violent crime.
Spencer is a relatively new Sheriff, elevated to his position of responsibility in a small town’s one-man police department by a mayor who thinks he’ll be able to push Spencer around. However, physical abuse from the town’s roughest characters is the straw that breaks the Sheriff’s back, and the morning after, Spencer refuses to let them go to start their shift in the local factory. The factory manager isn’t happy, the mayor is called and a stand-off ensues as the Sheriff stands his ground.
The scene is set for a battle of wills and fists, as the little guy takes on the big bullies in a universal tale that has a microcosmic David and Goliath ring to it. Unlike Fargo, however, there aren’t really any twists. The story is elegantly told but it doesn’t have the gut-wrenching feeling of discomfort that the recent Fargo TV series have given us.
The illustration is black and white throughout, which works well with the snowy, frozen backdrop, though we had some minor niggles with it: at one point a shot is fired and it’s tricky to work out quite what went on; and the mayor and the factory manager look a bit too similar to tell apart at times, essentially requiring you to remember who’s got the longest nose.
It’s an interesting short read that you can clear in a relatively short time and might fill a gap for those looking for snowy, north American, crime dramas. However, while it’s interesting enough in its own right, it’s no Fargo.
