'Sons Of Anarchy' #18 Review: David Labrava's Happy Lowman Continues Jax Teller's Ride In "Gut-Wrenching" Issue!

Even though the series finale of Sons of Anarchy aired on FX, BOOM! Studios isn't done with Jax Teller's motorcycle club yet. Readers will discover Happy Lowman (played byDavid Labrava)'s own origin story in writer Ed Brisson and artist Matías Bergara's gut-wrenching Sons of Anarchy #18. 

During the 2014 New York Comic Con, MStars News had the pleasure of speaking with the Cluster scribe about the SOA comic book series. Just like in issues #16 (Juice) and #17 (Bobby), certain members of SAMCRO were going to got their own standalone installments.

Brisson revealed to MStars what makes Labrava's character his favorite to write for, "I do really like Happy. I'm writing actually a solo issue about Happy coming up, and trying to flush out that character a bit more and give a little bit of a back-story, but I think Juice right now is my favorite. But it's gone back and forth. Tig! I really like Tig as well, and Bobby at different point as well."

The eighteenth installment features Happy before he became the enforcer of the motorcycle club. In a flashback, way before the events of first season, Brisson comes up with an original prequel tale establishing the anti-hero's fall from grace. Crucial in the narrative, Happy's relationship with his mother triggers his descent into crime. 

In the narrative, Happy is being pushed to the extremes by his family and his environment. At times, Happy is dealt with a bad hand, but at certain points, he has no one else to blame but himself. Brisson stays true to the mythology, revealing how the first Smiley Face tattoo, his first kill, came about. 

Bergara captures a different character design for Happy's younger days. In the illustrations, Happy had a full set of hair before he became a twisted psychopath. When Happy is with his mother, Bergara places the two in the same panel and focuses on their emotional facial expressions.  

Out in stores now, Ed Brisson's unflinching storytelling and Matías Bergara's gritty artwork make Sons of Anarchy #18 a moving and somber read. If you miss the TV show, this will certainly fill in the void. 

RATING: BUY IT