The Great British Bump-Off #4 Review

The Great British Bump-Off #4 Review

The Great British Bump-Off #4 Review
Written by: John Allison
Art by: Max Sarin
Colors by: Sammy Borras
Published by: Dark Horse Comics

I’m going to start this by saying I live for The Great British Baking Show. I’m fully #TeamLiam, Mel and Sue are MY hosts (sorry Noel, I loved you in The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd), and the prosciutto, manchego, and balsamic onion soda bread that Alvin Magallanes made in Series 6?

Still, something I dream about even after watching every episode of every series multiple times. I’m the person who yells at the TV when the bakers don’t check to see if their oven is on.  I’m the person who adopted the term, “…worth the calories.” after hearing Prue say it once. I’m the person who wishes Mary Berry was my Nan so I could have just a single bite of her Victoria Sandwich Cake. I am that person. 

When The Great British Bump Off came across my desk, I knew it was going to be a good day. Baking and crime! Poison? Check. Profiteroles? Check. Red herrings? Check. Pickled herring? No (Thank God). In book four, the thrilling conclusion, we find our girl Shauna using her skills to not only whip up a movie-themed cake but bring an end to the most dastardly plot the tent has ever seen. Seriously impressive, given the time restraints. Some people struggle to finish a dozen, identical swiss rolls and here she is solving crime. Shauna, you’re my Star Baker. 

The characters are divine and hold true from the first challenge to the last- this book has convinced me that Paul Hollywood needs an eye patch. The art is whimsical and fits both the tent and the story. No one can say there’s style over substance here (I’m looking at you, Frances of Series 4), only a perfect blend of mystery, intrigue, flavor, and texture. A triumph, if you will.  If you’re anything like me, you’re impatiently waiting for the next season of The Great British Baking Show.

I know. I KNOW. Trust me, The Great British Bump Off will satiate those cravings. You’ll laugh, you’ll salivate, you’ll Google some things that might put you on a watch list. Hey, the fact that Nightshade and British Black Currants really do look the same is fascinating and a clever plot point. Each page is the perfect balance of sponge and competition-driven depraved indifference. Definitely a read worth the calories. 

Do I know Sabrina? Sabrina…Sabrina….Oh, you mean her? Yeahh. She’s wild. Homegirl throws solo dance parties in her bedroom. She writes like nobody’s reading…because they aren’t (yet). She is an award-winning baker and has seen every episode of every season of ALL the Star Treks, and Stargates except Stargate Universe because it wasn’t right. Perpetual teenager. 4’11 of sass and sarcasm. She’s obsessed with cats. Single if you can believe it. All around nerd, and just too weird for her own good. AND SHE’S PROUD OF IT?