Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Ron Lims
Inks: Don Ho
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Art: Ron Lims, Don Ho and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $ 3.99
Release Date: July 12, 2023
Reviewed by: Samriddh Chaudhary
Introduction:
Adam Warlock has been deemed obsolete by his replacement named Eve Warlock. Now Adam Warlock fights alongside his companions Gamora, Pip the Troll, Genis-Vell aka Legacy, and the Sorcerer Supreme himself Doctor Strange to gain possession of the Soul Gem once again. Warlock: Rebirth #4 portrays the battle between the past and the present to secure the future while a greater more sinister power pulls the strings behind the scenes.
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The Dispatch:
After Strange successfully brought Adam back from The Soulworld, Adam decides to engage in battle with Eve Warlock to retrieve the soul stone from her before The High Evolutionary causes too much damage using it. Eve and Adam take their cataclysmic battle to Soulworld to put an end to the conflict once and for all. At the beginning of this issue, there is a great segment where we just see Spider-man and Daredevil discuss their villains. The entire series is supposed to give the feeling that it was written in the late 80s or the early 90s, which is an aim that it has achieved over the last few issues. The simplicity of the plot is appreciable but is also one of its demerits. None of the characters have received a sufficient amount of characterization. Each one of them feels like a caricature of the people they are supposed to be.
Adam’s colorful supporting cast is severely underused throughout Warlock: Rebirth #4 . Having a character as interesting as Legacy and not utilizing him properly is extremely underwhelming. It’s disappointing because we rarely get to see characters like him and when they appear they are underutilized and are just there to fill a space in the background. What’s sad is that the writer’s focus on Adam is not doing anything for his character. He is just there to complete a set of goals by the end of the series. When a series is not developing the main character in any way it is rather upsetting.
The Art:
The Art is one of the stronger aspects of the issue. It’s an almost immaculate collaboration between the three artists behind the look of the book. The action is so well done that readers can actually feel the impact of each punch thrown throughout the issue. The Art is also trying to emulate the style of Marvel Comics from the early 90s which it is also mostly successful at. The Inking techniques from then and now differ significantly so it never looks exactly like a comic from the 90s. But that’s a really minor complaint.
Final Thoughts:
While Warlock: Rebirth #4 aims to evoke the nostalgic feel of comics from the late 80s or early 90s, it falls short in fully developing its characters and their complexities. The supporting cast is underutilized, leaving readers longing for a deeper exploration of their potential. Nevertheless, the art stands out as a highlight, with a seamless collaboration among the three artists who skillfully convey the impact of each punch and successfully emulate the style of Marvel comics from the past. Although the issue has its merits, it ultimately falls shy of delivering a fully satisfying and well-rounded narrative.