REVIEW: The Great British Bump Off #4

The murder mystery meets British baking collab you didn’t know you needed comes to its stunning conclusion in The Great British Bump Off #4. Contestant/amateur detective Shauna has managed to avoid elimination long enough to put most of the pieces of the puzzle together. Unfortunately, she’s on thin ice with the judges and the competitors.

From the jump, The Great British Bump Off has been a fun murder mystery. Sure “fun” isn’t usually associated with murder but this miniseries is more an ode to Agatha Christie novels and the real-life Bake Off television series more than a dark, brooding whodunit. Writer Josh Allen clearly had fun with this series, flexing his comedic writing chops at every turn. From the caricatures of realty show contestant architypes that make up book’s cast, to the kookiness that surrounds the big reveal. In the opening scene, the contestants have to bake movie-themed deserts and some of them are truly hilarious. There’s even a heart-felt conclusion and a hilarious epilogue. It’s a parody, it’s meta, but it’s also a respectful shoutout to both British murder mysteries and baking competitions. Not the easiest feat to pull off.

The art work adds to the overall charm of the series as well. Artist Max Sarin brings the eclectic cast to life with over-the-top styling for each contestant and over-exaggerated action and movements. The coloring by Sammy Borras is another key ingredient in this delightful mix. Everything is bright and lively helping the characters really stand out. Unique touches like visualizing what characters are feeling or thinking with cues like fluffy hearts or cartoonish skulls make the project even more charming.

The one true knock is that mystery is not the best part of the tale, and could’ve have been deeper. It mainly serves as the catalyst for a bunch of quirky, well-written characters to exist and interact. Shauna is just a great character who is baking cakes and breaking cases. The judges (loosely based on real British Bake Off stars) are equally as over-the-top as the motley crew of contestants. There are so many funny lines of dialogue and panels of art it’s hard not to be smitten while reading it. And they nail the ending which is satisfying on multiple levels. Whether it’s bitties in the BK Lounge or a Victoria sponge cake at a Britsh bakery, people love their food, sometimes enough to kill for. Baking and reality television have been bedfellows for years, but linking up with comics? This is a new one that The Great British Bump Off will make you want another taste of.

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Coloring – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; John Allen
Art by; Max Sarin
Colors by; Sammy Borras
Letters by; Jim Campbell
Published by; Dark Horse Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.