The Terrifics #4
DC Comics
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Evan Doc Shaner, Nathan Fairbairn & Tom Napolitano
A lost civilization, rogue aliens, giant squid parents and….a rock paper scissors battle of the century! It’s all out weirdness and fun in the latest issue brought to you by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Evan ‘Doc’ Shaner!
The story starts off continuing from the previous issue where our heroes have discovered that they’re stuck together and are now traveling the cosmos in search of Phantom Girls mysterious heritage. With information supplied by a Green Lantern, the team departs with their task. This issue primarily focused on the mysterious Phantom Girl, how she views her fellow comrades and her mixed emotions about returning to BGZTL (did I say that right?) Everything seems according to plan, Plastic Man & Metamorpho continue their usual banter, (using their powers to do a rock paper scissors fight over a chair gave me good hearty chuckle), and ‘Mr.T’ as he’s been now dubbed, remains focused as ever. However, they are intercepted by a band of alien pirate-like beings and have an unfortunate encounter with some slimy sewage squids on board an intergalactic garbage truck.
So far, the book itself has been fantastic, and this issue only gets better. Lemire has an excellent handling of these characters, and really knows how to work a fun team dynamic, like old school Fantastic Four but bringing his own welcome flair into the mix. The dialogue is spot on, and you can tell he’s having fun writing these characters. The interactions are just so much fun and give an energy to the book, keeping the pace flowing and excitement in the air. There’s a lovely heartfelt moment between Rex and Terrific, promising future stories of growing friendship and a lovely wholesome moment with Plas and Phantom Girl that would even make Darkseid smile (with Plas even unofficially dubbing the team!). Lemire focuses mainly on his story, while also leaving enough little mysteries for the team to solve and keep the reader interested. But he really stands out with the characters, developing them with those moments, while also supplying us with comedy and action.
As for the art? Shaner has managed to travel to the golden age of comics while keeping it all very ‘modern’. The art is beautiful to look at, each page is drawn with care and a nice ‘simplistic’ look. His creativeness really comes out with Plas & Rex’s fluid shapeshifting, especially with the Squid battles. Credit to colorist Nathan Fairbairn for the stunning palette produced, helping Shaner bring these characters to life, and helping create the ‘sci-fi/pulp’ vibe of old. Shaner, Fairbairn, and Napolitano help bring out Lemire’s story magnificently, making the book to be a fun read.
No spoilers for the ending folks, but trust me it’s a series you should be picking up. Possibly one of the best of the ‘New Age of Heroes’ line-up DC is producing right now, it’s fun, enjoyable, heart-warming and a love letter to old-school comics, giving loads of good character interactions and development, while also leaving plenty of action, mystery, and thrills for the reader to enjoy. Check it out!
The Teriffics #4
The creative team of Lemire & Shaner helps delve the reader back into the Golden Age pulp adventure comics while also spinning their own twist of things, with lovable characters, beautiful art and a whole lot of fun.
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