Review: WINTER SOLDIER #4

WINTER SOLDIER #4
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Butch Guice
Release Date: April 11, 2012

The clean-up mission of Bucky’s past continues with Winter Soldier #4 by Brubaker and Guice, a duo that has really settled into this title nicely. Brubaker is right in his wheelhouse with this title and his comfort level can be felt in the script. There is a confidence to this writing that you don’t find in many comics: he knows exactly where he is going with this story and he knows exactly how to get Bucky there. Brubaker continues to slowly give us details about exactly what Bucky is up against in this arc and gets Victor Von Doom a lot more integrated into the title. Brubaker writes Doom well, a task I have seen executed poorly more times than I can count. The Latverian monarch has just the right level of ego in this issue and Brubaker does well to not have Doom simply come in and steal the show. His presence is certainly felt, but as a quality side character to the Winter Soldier as a great foil should be. The events of these first four issues are certainly coming to a head and the tension in the title is definitely rising.

Butch Guice provides solid art, though I found his pencils to be somewhat inconsistent. Guice is normally rock solid and that fact is what makes some inconsistencies so blatantly apparent. On the positive side, his use of shadows as we trailed the Black Widow evoked an excellent aura of suspicion but I found myself puzzled as to why Doctor Doom always looked surprised. I can understand how it would be difficult to show emotion on the face of man in a mask, but surprise is not something that is typical for the not-so-good Doctor. Is this a minor quibble? Yes, of course it is! But when Guice is as good as he is sometimes it makes minor things like that shine like a beacon. Overall the art in the issue is great and matches the tone of the book well. Winter Soldier would definitely not be hurting if Guice put up the same quality of art for the next several issues.

Verdict: 8.0/10

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