The blockbuster Marvel event of the year continues! AFTERMATH: the heroes reel in the wake of last issue's shocking finale. Thor finds himself unwelcome in two homes. Steve Rogers makes the decision of a lifetime. And Iron Man prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice. Every move the heroes make just serves to make The Serpent stronger-- and the feat he accomplishes in this issue will rock the Avengers.
If you've complained that FI is dragging a bit, this is the issue you want to read, filled with strong character beats, big moments and a providing a bird's eye view of a conflict that has spread across the globe and into the realm of Asgard. (Atlantean bodies floating to the surface after Attuma's butchery are particularly disturbing.) The revelation of the Serpent's identity (Not to be coy here, but I'm unsure if he's Vili or Ve) makes Odin's strange behavior palatable, and Captain America putting on a helmet and grabbing an assault rifle is a moment that quickly gets across how serious this situation has become. (People he fought WITHOUT such accoutrements include Korvac, Thanos, Nebula and The Living Monolith.) The key Tony Stark moments in this issue are moments of HUMAN triumph, finally getting him away from the endless Batman gambits that have been gumming up his works since about 1997, and the revelation that he vomited in his helmet at the carnage in Paris is both disgusting a Read Full Review
This series is building nicely, and next issue promises to be a classic Marvel fight-to-the-finish between powerhouses. I can't wait! Read Full Review
This is yet another good issue. Maybe not quite the strongest of the series to this point, but it's a good middle point of the story. Read Full Review
A really fantastic and exciting read that puts on display all the fun to be had in a big, superhero comic. Oh, and for what it's worth, I thought it was significantly better than Flashpoint #3. Read Full Review
Fear Itself #4Posted: Friday, July 8, 2011By: Danny Djeljosevic Matt FractionStuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger (i), Laura Martin (c), Chris Eliopoulos (l)Marvel When I read Fear Itself, I'm not just reading characters with hammers fighting characters without hammers; I'm also reading Matt Fraction writing Fear Itself as he scripts easily the most technically daunting task in his comics career. Imagine, for the first time, having to juggle multiple characters, ideas and themes while having to deal with a slew of editors and writers whose comics are tied directly into yours, an entire industry of fans and peers' eyes on you -- all while having to come up with a crackerjack story. It must feel like playing piano on a tightrope. Read Full Review
I'd like to see more in the three remaining issues of "Fear Itself." Rather than a page pointing me to three other titles for pieces of the story started here, finish what was begun here. Give me some closure. Just, please, make sure it is as stunningly drawn, and wonderfully delivered as some of these teasers. Read Full Review
With four issues down, it's looking doubtful that Fear Itself will ever truly live up to its potential. But with the promise of epic carnage in issue #5 and some real answers regarding the nature of Odin's relationship to the Serpent, there's no reason to bail on this series now Read Full Review
Interestingly, for a crossover that began as a Thor/Captain America pitch, the best stuff here comes from Iron Man, who makes a choice that one would hope he'd never have to make. And unlike his mustache-twirling villainy during Civil War, here he actually behaves rationally and in-character. Stuart Immonen's artwork is as masterful as ever " perhaps even more masterful than ever, with the addition of stellar colors from Laura Martin. The book looks great and it reads okay. It just needs a bit of a boost in the right direction. Read Full Review
We also learn that Thor is destined to die (or, die as much as a God actually can in the Marvel Universe), and are witness to Tony Stark debasing himself in front of Odin by draining a bottle of booze (as plans go, not the brightest he's ever had). Worth a look. Read Full Review
With Fear Itself half-over, things are steadily progressing towards the crux of the story. With Thor facing insurmountable odds on the last page of this issue, along with the other Avengers in various states of turmoil, it seems that the next two issues will be very big deals, indeed. Read Full Review
At the end of Fear Itself #4, we learn that The Serpent is really Odin’s pissed off brother that nobody knew about. The final panel is Thor attacking the possessed Hulk and Thing. That’s it, it ends there and readers will be left with a feeling that somebody over in the Marvel offices owes them money. Stuart Immonen does some really nice work here. He manages to translate, through his art, the fear that Fraction can’t translate through the written word. Immonen can get great scenes done within small panels and really goes for the gold in the bigger work. If Fraction understood scale and tension the way Immonen does, Fear Itself may not be the unbelievable mess it is. At this point, I don’t care what happens to the Marvel Universe, I just want Fear Itself to be over. Read Full Review
The most frustrating part about Fear Itself 4 is that nothing really happens. Example: Before Fear Itself 4, Nazi robots were attacking the world. After Fear Itself 4, Nazi robots are still attacking the world. So far this Serpent character really hasn’t done anything but yell like a villain from the 90s
Review
Cover-***
Writing-***
Art-**
Story-**
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