Review: A-Force #4

Becca Tyrrell Becca Tyrrell
Contributor
September 17th, 2015

A mild-mannered event planner by day and masked vigilante by night, Becca can usually be found sipping an iced coffee and scouring the stacks at her local comic shop. She splits her time between the TARDIS, Burnside, and Avengers' Tower.

Review: A-Force #4
Comics
0
Review of: A-Force #4
Price:
Worth Reading!

Reviewed by:
Rating:
4
On September 17, 2015
Last modified:September 17, 2015

Summary:

Although the plot was predictable, the character development and artwork were stellar.

Review of: A-Force #4
Price:
Worth Reading!

Reviewed by:
Rating:

4
On September 17, 2015
Last modified:September 17, 2015

Summary:

Although the plot was predictable, the character development and artwork were stellar.

This summer, Secret Wars collapsed every Marvel universe together to form Battleworld, a massive planet comprised of the shreds of the worlds that no longer exist...including Arcadia, a paradise protected by She-Hulk and A-Force. Arcadia is under attack from strange magic and A-Force has discovered the source and the identity of the traitor in their midst!

With Arcadia under attack, She-Hulk and the protectors of Arcadia, known as A-Force, are on the run from Doom's enforcers the Thors. Before they go into hiding, She-Hulk announces that she knows the identity of the traitor and the source of the portals that have cost them two team members already.

From the creative team of Marguerite Bennett, G. Willow Wilson, Jorge Molina, and Laura Martin, A-Force #4, brings us face to face with the traitor and sets the stage for the future of Arcadia.

From A-Force #4

From A-Force #4

Summary:

The issue starts with Singularity running through the streets of Arcadia in an effort to evade the Thors that are raining down on the island. At this point, the strange visitor is actually carrying A-Force inside her pocket universe. Once she gets to a safe location, she brings them out and rallies the team by explaining to each member what she's learned from them in the short time that she has been on the island.  Now that the team is safe, She-Hulk is able to reveal the identity of the traitor. She explains that when she was travelling through the mysterious portal she could see that it was fueled by something familiar...a rainbow bridge, just like the one used by the Thors...and Loki.

Yes, Loki is the traitor in Arcadia, although that fact is not clear to the Thors just yet. Gamora thanks Loki for her loyalty to doom and informs her that she is likely to be the next Baroness of Arcadia. Loki takes her seat on the throne, but her celebration is cut short when she notices stars where there were none previously. Singularity appears and brings A-Force with her beginning a battle for control of Arcadia. Just when it seems that Loki has the upper hand and is about to take She-Hulk out, Nico confronts her with the evidence of her betrayal and the pain Loki has inflicted. It's enough of a distraction for Gamora to get close and hear everything. The focus of the battle shifts and Loki is restrained.

Nico gets the last word as she tells Loki that she will never rule Arcadia, and that she has lost all of her allies on the island, including Nico herself - who started this series as a ward of Loki along with America Chavez. In a fit of emotion, Loki uses her magic to mobilize a hoard of shuffling villain zombies from the shield to Arcadia. The issue ends with A-Force assembling for what may be the last time to protect their city.

From A-Force #4

From A-Force #4

Critique:

My favorite pages from this issue were those that featured Singularity most prominently, especially the first two-page spread. I love the way that Bennett and Wilson have used this character to shine a light on formative experience and how a sense of self is discovered within a new cultural context. After Singularity has gotten the team to safety, she takes a moment with each team member and verbalizes the trait that she has learned from them: smiling from Dazzler, fighting from Captain Marvel, feeling from Nico, giving from Medusa, and forgiving from She-Hulk. This moment is so important because of the way that it highlights the very best of this team, and this is the exact moment that they need to remember who they are and what they stand for.

Especially poignant is the panel of Singularity and She-Hulk. She-Hulk has been beat up (physically and emotionally). She feels responsible for the banishment of Miss America and the death of Medusa. She's doubting herself and her leadership skills. And here comes Singularity, who has spoken five words since she arrived in Arcadia, reminding She-Hulk to forgive herself for her mistakes and to move forward. That's such a powerful and important message both for the members of A-Force and humans in general. I came to A-Force for She-Hulk, but I stayed for Singularity.

Aside from the payoff with Singularity, I felt this issue fell a little flat. I would have liked to see Bennett and Wilson shake things up with a different villain or a different motivation,  because Loki's willingness to go to any lengths for power was predictable. I was hopeful that the story would take an unexpected twist, but perhaps within the constraints of a massive crossover event in a story that features so many characters that just wasn't possible. The predictability of Loki's attempted take over doesn't cancel out the success that this team has created elsewhere in this book. It's still my favorite issue so far.

I'm looking forward to the conclusion of this arc (zombified villain hoarde?!) and finding out what's next for A-Force following Secret Wars.

 

Becca Tyrell is a Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow her on Twitter: @ArrTee

A-Force #4

  • 4

Worth Reading!

Although the plot was predictable, the character development and artwork were stellar.

(Visited 350 times, 1 visits today)

Comments are closed.