Comics

Published on August 29th, 2023 | by Howard Smith

Storm #4 REVIEW @annienocenti @geraldohsborges

Storm #4 REVIEW @annienocenti @geraldohsborges Howard Smith
Score

Summary: Storm has a lot on her plate, but things are not as smooth as they appeared.

4

Secrets Are Revealed


Blowback

In Storm #4, Blowback continues to both haunt and stalk Storm. After waking from her unconsciousness, Rouge has a heart-to-heart with Mystique who attempts to lure her to the brotherhood of evil, but Rogue doesn’t buy what Mystique is selling. While the X-Men are tinkering around with Travis’ technology, odd materials within the design trouble Xavier. Meanwhile, Storm stumbles upon books and objects that strike a familiar sensation during her first interaction with Blowback. Storm questions herself about leaving the X-Men and her mutant family, but something catches her eye back at Travis’ place. What she finds sharpens her senses and dulls the presence of love in the air. A heavy storm is about to appear, but the question remains Who is Blowback?

In this issue of Storm #4, Ann Nocenti (Fallen Angels, The Defenders, Green Arrow) gets to the bottom of who Blowback is. However, Nocenti doesn’t give readers the reveal right away. In fact, the good thing about her writing is that she is excellent at the buildup and the final execution that readers may be itching to know. What’s versatile about this part of the story is that it doesn’t solely focus on Storm the entire time. The comic book allows the reader to grasp what is going on from different perspectives that, in some way or another connect and serve as purpose to the story. This allows readers to connect the pieces and breadcrumbs left from the previous issues of the comic series. Through this method, the distinction of why this is happening to Storm makes sense and helps fill in those gaps that readers may otherwise be privy to. As this is a story that happens after Storm’s battle with Callisto, the comic book deals with an emotional inner turmoil that is believed to be a first-hand experience readers get to read for the first time. The likable feature of this story is due to Nocenti crafting a story that is meaningful. The comic book doesn’t hint at a waste of time, in fact, Nocenti makes it enjoyable to read.

Regarding reading the comic book, Geraldo Borges (Shift, X-Men: Gold, Sinestro) illustrates Storm #4 considerably. Borges’s work as the artist for this issue holds up strong just as it was for the previous issue of the series. Notably, the characters are drawn in a style that doesn’t require too much strain on the reader’s eyes. However, the smoothness of the art allows for a subtly observation of an entire scene displayed in one panel. There are moments that contain more detail than others, but besides that Borges clearly wants to tell a story without being boggled down with excessiveness on detail. The focus doesn’t rely on heavy detail, but rather the ability to make the story come to life on the pages of the comic book.

Considerably, the coloring work by Andrew Dalhouse (The Flash, Gunslinger Spawn, Justice League) just might be the best part of the comic book. Storm #4 is graced with coloring proficiency that does wonders at making the work gleam with significance. Dalhouse has worked on a boatload of projects over the years and provides stellar coloring work for each one. For Storm’s interlude story, Dalhouse brings that same amount of energy and time into coloring this comic book as he has done for others. That also includes the issues that came before this one. It’s truly appreciative of Dalhouse giving this story his best work.

Comparably, Ariana Maher’s (Marvel, Maestro, Nancy Drew) lettering work is a fun read on panels. When it comes to sound effects being displayed during appropriate scenes, Maher constructs them in a way that is entertaining to see when they pop up. Furthermore, the exact placements of the text are positioned well enough to leave room for the art to stand out alongside the dialogue.

Finally, Alejandro Sánchez (Amazing Fantasy, Planet of the Apes, Raise the Dead 2) and Alan Davis (Fantastic Four, UKCAC, Titans) hit another home run on a cover for Nocenti’s Storm story. The cover is stunning to observe and admire. It gives a glimpse of what may be waiting within the comic book.

For the fans of Storm or regular X-Men readers, Storm #4 continues to be a wonderful addition to Storm’s character trajectory into who she becomes during the modern day. Instead of being bombarded with several comic books that all must be read simultaneously, this story can be read strictly on its own. This section of Storm’s life is coming to a speedy climax, but it’s important to pick up this issue if you’ve enjoyed the previous comic books so far. You don’t want to miss what happens next!

Comic Details

Writer: Ann Nocenti

Artist: Geraldo Borges

Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Alan Davis, Alejandro Sánchez

Editor: Mark Basso

Publisher: Marvel Entertainment

 


About the Author

howard.smith.hls@gmail.com'

Howard is a passionate collector and avid reader of comics who resides in the city of Washington, D.C. His love for all things pop culture extends beyond the pages of comics, as he attends popular culture conventions both locally and out of state. Whether he’s searching for rare comic finds or engaging in video games, or reading manga he manifests an opportunity to celebrate his fandom. Follow along as he explores the worlds of superheroes, sci-fi, and beyond, always with a keen eye for adventure and a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling.


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