DESTRO #4, by Image Comics & Skybound on 9/18/24, brings the winds of change to M.A.R.S. when everyone believes Destro is dead, but Destro doesn’t know that, and his quiet research leads to a shocking discovery.
Credits:
- Writer: Dan Watters
- Artist: Andrei Bressan
- Colorist: Adriano Lucas
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Andrei Bressan, Adriano Lucas (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: September 18, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of DESTRO #4:
First Impressions:
Writer Dan Watters is playing with big ideas, but he’s trying to do too much, too big, too fast, and too late in the uneven miniseries. When you consider Destro #4 as the penultimate issue, there is no way Watters can adequately tie up the stack of loose threads without taking massive shortcuts, rushing, or letting things drop without a proper resolution.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Destro in Destro #3, Destro was attacked by a well-equipped assassin after he exited his secluded family crypt in the highlands of Scotland. Destro was presumed dead, but he managed to sneak his way to an American military base for rest, recovery, and sanctuary before cutting a deal.
In Destro #4, Tomax and Xamot visit Darklon with an aggressive offer. Since Destro is dead, Darklon now earns M.A.R.S., and the twins are eager to acquire the company for all the advanced weapons Destro developed, including the prototype B.A.T.S. Despite his loyalty to the Destro clan, Darklon takes the cash.
Dan Watters begins the issue on an odd note. Rather than picking up with Destro to find out what kind of deal he can offer the Americans, aka the cliffhanger, Watters begins with the least memorable aspect of this miniseries – Darklon. If you think starting a penultimate issue with a business negotiation sounds boring, the reality is more boring.
When the deal is done, the twins begin testing the B.A.T.S prototypes and learn their fatal flaw – they kill everything, not just enemies. However, the twins are determined to turn lemons into lemonade. Elsewhere, we find Destro sitting in a manse, reading over papers that divulge a number of American Intelligence secrets. There’s no mention of how he got there, how he got the papers, what deal he made, or why the U.S. military would even consider giving high-security intel to such a dangerous man. It just happened because it’s in the script.
Later, Astoria Carlton Ritz enjoys a company party she’s put on in celebration of her ascension to C.E.O. after her father’s death. Destro makes a stylish entrance to the party and asks to speak with her privately. Astoria agrees but makes a run for it. She’s stopped in a back alley by Scrap-Iron, who keeps her cornered until Destro can catch up. With nowhere to go, Astoria spills the beans about the attack on the arms fair, the assassination attempt, and a secret plan called Project Overkill that’s at the heart of everything.
The issue concludes with the promise of war and peace, and the twins take on a familiar partner.
Overall, Destro #4 crams in a lot of big ideas to give the miniseries purpose and direction, but the developments come out of nowhere or don’t appear completely thought out. It reads as if Dan Watters didn’t know where to start, so he made up developments as he went, and now it’s a race to make the arc worth the purchase price. It just doesn’t work.
Artwork and Presentation:
We’ve been lukewarm on Andrei Bressan’s art style since the first issue, mostly due to the “squiggly” inks and odd facial expressions, made more garish by Adriano Lucas’s uncharacteristically harsh coloring. That said, the inks appear to have been tightened up, which is a significant improvement over the previous issues.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
At a very high and general level, Desto is part of the interconnected Energon universe, but it’s unclear where it sits in the timeline with other Energon titles. Presumably, it takes place after Joshua Williamson’s Cobra Commander miniseries. However, that may not be true since the use of B.A.T.S. in this story appears to contradict the use of B.A.T.S. in the Cobra Commander story.
In short, Destro is loosely a part of Energon, but the cohesion with other titles is lacking.
Final Thoughts:
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DESTRO #4 is an uneven, rushed, overstuffed issue that introduces several big ideas in a hurry before the finale next month. In fairness, several of those ideas are intriguing, but the rushed execution by Dan Watters tries to do too much while accomplishing not enough.
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