ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4, by Dynamite Comics on 1/10/24, begins the Rock Battle of the Ages when Satan and Alice Cooper duke out for the title of greatest musician on Earth.
The Details
- Written by: Rodney Barnes
- Art by: Edu Menna
- Colors by: Adriano Augusto
- Letters by: Troy Peteri
- Cover art by: Stuart Sayger (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 10, 2024
Is ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4 Good?
In issue #3, Rodney Barnes took the familiar step of setting up a musician battle between Satan and Alice Cooper. In ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4, Rodney Barnes spends a lot of time with the contestants plotting and planning before skipping past most of the contest to turn in a needless direction. This is not the way.
When last we left Alice Cooper, an Archangel gifted the famous rocker a magical guitar that incinerated demons within earshot of its music. When Satan appeared to take over the world, Alice challenged the Lord of Lies to a music contest by appealing to the devil’s ego with the fate of the world’s fandom hanging in the balance.
Now, Alice gets an earful about how important it is that he wins from Archangel, his supporters, and the Pope. Satan realizes he can’t get honest critiques from anyone (because he would destroy them), so the Archangel presumes Satan will trick, trap, and deceive to win. It doesn’t ply out the way you think.
What’s great about ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4? We criticized the oath much traveled by Barnes for veering into the predictable territory of setting up a musical battle for high stakes, but Barnes deserves credit for making the lead-up to the contest feel like a big event.
What’s not so great about ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4? The musical battle feels big, but the execution before, during, and after the contest falls flat. Most of the preamble is taken up with assorted characters lecturing Alice about the importance of winning, which is just silly. The contest is strangely brief and contains no tricks, traps, or deceptions everyone warned Alice about. When Alice wins fairly (of course), Satan proposes a round two, which Alice has no obligation or business accepting. Alice won. Why is he agreeing to compromise when Satan is reneging on the deal?!?
It reads like Barnes didn’t have an original plan other than to manufacture an excuse to get Alice into a music battle with Satan, so nearly everything around the contest is unnecessary filler.
How’s the art? The art is fine for what it is. Edu Menna spends an excessive amount of time on flat, medium shots and close-ups because there isn’t much to this issue.
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What’s ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #3 review to find out how Alice struck a deal with Satan.
Alice Cooper prepares for his music battle with the devil by contemplating his love of performing. As the time draws near, his anxiety over the battle’s outcome increases. The Archangel appears to chastise Alice for risking his soul, but Alice admits making the deal was the only solution he could think of.
Later, Alice receives a summons from the Pope, who explains that Alice must win because a loss would embolden Satan’s followers. When the moment arrives, both musicians do their best, but Alice comes out on top.
We conclude the issue with a recount, a takeback, and a new bargain.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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ALICE COOPER (VOL. 2) #4 presents Alice Cooper’s greatest challenge with a music battle against Satan for his soul. Edu Menna’s art is the best that could be expected in a dialog-heavy issue, but Barnes’s script spends too much time on pointless conversations and a cliffhanger that doesn’t make any sense.
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