A-Force #4

by Marguerite Bennett, G. Willow Wilson, Jorge Molina, Craig Yeung, Walden Wong, and Laura Martin

Each issue of A-Force has steadily gotten better and better. So it’s easy enough to say that the fourth installment is the best so far. It started out a little iffy, but it has really become a force to be reckoned with, as far as Secret Wars books go. It’s sort of the “girl book” of the whole event, but these girls have proven themselves worthy.

The art has been wonderful in each and every issue, each and every panel. Issue four is no exception. Each character looks positively wonderful, especially the quiet little character who is made of stars – she becomes more and more prevalent in each issue (she’s a big part of the story here) and she’s absolutely wonderful to look at. One of the best parts in this issue is the movement of the characters. It can’t be easy to make a character look like they are in motion, but it happens in this book. It’s real proof of a good artist, and the people involved in this book have thoroughly succeeded.

It almost seems, though, like this book has been a little bit… neglected in the whole Secret Wars world. The story has felt a bit rushed, seeing as how it’s almost over, but it’s only on issue four. It seems like, had the story been stretched out a bit more, it would have been a more enjoyable read overall. Things happen very quickly in this issue, as in every other issue. Lady Loki makes a return and she’s very quickly “taken care of” – that’s something that probably could’ve been drawn out a bit more, and made more interesting had it happened over a few issues instead of crammed into one. That’s probably no fault of the writers’, though. Maybe Marvel just didn’t put as much into this book as it did into other Secret Wars titles. That’s not to say it didn’t deserve more attention, however – A-Force should’ve been a much bigger part of the overall event.

It’s hard to get over a big negative hump like that, but the issue is enjoyable nonetheless. Lady Loki looks utterly fantastic. All of the characters do, but Lady Loki has a particular look about her that really just makes her stick in your brain and linger there. She’s easily one of the best parts of this issue. The whole rushed feeling of the book can’t take away from genuinely wonderful art, luckily. While the series could definitely be better, the look of it absolutely hits the nail on the head.

This series has a really great ensemble of people putting it together, so it’s hard to say just who has done the best job. The art is perfect, and the story, while rushed, is great too – it’s easy enough to just say that every name involved here has done a great job. It’ll be a shame when this series, which didn’t seem to have the best chance in the world, ends… but for now, just pick up this issue and wait for the next one!