Review: SECRET WARS #4

SCWARS2015004_DC11

SECRET WARS #4
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Esad Ribic
Published by Marvel Comics
Release Date: July 1, 2015

God Doom’s world is threatened as the survivors of the 616 shake things up in Secret Wars #4.

Jonathan Hickman takes the reveal of the survivors from the 616 and throws them straight at Doom, escalating events in a way that I didn’t expect…or at least a pace I didn’t expect. There are several events in this issue that I expected to be drawn out for a lot longer, and I appreciated that this story isn’t being drawn out for the sake of building tension. Hickman has built an epic and he’s keeping the pace quick, with high stakes events occurring on damn near every page. This issue is worthy of the attention that it is being paid, and it is a great anchor for this wild event.

Hickman’s dialogue is great, and he writes Doom, Val, Susan and Reed Richards so well. His take on Strange is great, and this is another great issue of a Marvel comic by Jonathan Hickman. His interpretation of these characters is fantastic and, for many readers, these are the quintessential Richards and Doom. They are certainly my favourite takes on the characters and I can’t wait to see where Hickman takes this pair next.

Esad Ribic’s artwork is strong, though not as flawless as previous issues. He captures the epic feeling of the event brilliantly and his Doom is over-the-top powerful. His artwork highlights some great character moments and his work with Stephen Strange in particular is strong. His style is a great compliment to Hickman’s writing and is a very good fit for Secret Wars. While I’d say this isn’t his best work in Secret Wars yet, it is still some of the best art you’ll see in stores this week.

Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic are firing on all cylinders and Secret Wars #4 is another great installment of the flagship event title. Events have escalated and there’s going to be some wild times coming, and I’ll be following this series until the final page. Hickman’s masterpiece rolls on in grand fashion.

The Verdict: 9.0/10

Authors

Related posts

Top