Comic Review: Bully Wars #4

Bully Wars #4

Image Comics

Writer: Skottie Young

Artist: Aaron Conley

It’s taken four issues but the Bully Wars in Bully Wars has finally begun. That’s not to say the issues before this are bad or anything like that. It’s the opposite, really. Bully Wars has been a lighthearted story so far, about a Bully trying to become the top bully at Rottenville high school.

In Bully Wars #4, the Bully Wars get off to a rocky start for Rufus and Spencer. Instead of helping Rufus from his bedroom, Spencer is instead taken and made part of the Bully Wars. Turning to Edith and Ernie for help, Rufus navigates his way through the old school grounds looking for Spencer. Rufus fights various bullies, eventually finding Spencer, and the two of them team partner up to try and win the Bully Wars.

Bully Wars really took me by surprise originally. I went into it blind, not really knowing what it was about, but I’m happy to say I’ve been really enjoying it so far. This issue is no different. We’re actually in the Bully Wars, and it’s fun. Rufus uses Spencer’s training and takes on a few bullies, and wins. And because of it all, you can see the budding friendship between the two. I’m 99% sure that’s where we’ll end up, but that’s okay. It’s about the journey, not the destination, and this journey is fun.

Part of what makes this comic fun and enjoyable is the art. It’s got a very cartoonish look to it that adds to the charm this comic has. The characters have their own proportions and looks that differentiate them from each other. The first bully Rufus fights eats too much food and balloons up from it. She also kind of has a Ms. Marvel look going on, with a red scarf and lightning bolt-ish shape on her shirt. This book just looks really good.

The one thing I don’t really like in this issue is that we skip over Rufus fighting more bullies. There’s a couple of pages at different points in the issue where we see a page that’s a montage of Rufus fighting other bullies, but that’s it. I’d prefer if we got to see those expanded, but I understand that the main conflict is with the main bully, Huck. Other than that, this is another good issue. The characters and story are fun, and the art looks great. It’s a fun comic that anyone can enjoy.