DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #4, from Dynamite Comics on June 1, 2022, adds another Barsoom character to the wild proceedings as Rav Thavas’s experiments hold the key to the final confrontation between Issus and the remaining heroes of Earth.
The Details
- Written By: Fred Van Lente
- Art By: Vincenzo Carratú, Jordi Perez
- Colors By: Kike J. Diaz
- Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Art By: Tony Fleecs
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 1, 2022
Was It Good?
“Wild” is precisely the word to describe this arc. When last we left Van Lente’s foray into an interplanetary zombie plague sparked by Issus, the Martian Goddess of Death, the heroes of Mars and Earth were whittled down to a handful, and all forces converged on Mars to set things right. Does this issue let up on the pace or the “wild” factor? No, not in the least.
Van Lente is due praise for the sheer volume of things happening at a breakneck pace without allowing the flow of the story to devolve into chaos. In fairness, there are only a few brief moments where the action and developments hit so hard and fast that it becomes a little too much. But the speed of progress still works because the direction is clean and clear. As long as you keep it, you won’t be confused.
Most of the clarity comes down to Van Lente’s pinpoint placement of dialog to clarify what’s happening at the right time from the right character with the right voice. For example, there’s a point where the Smiley sword observes how its power is growing, and that brief comment, in concert with the art, tells you everything you need to know about what’s happening and the opportunity to become a weapon against Issus. No lengthy exposition is required when the art team and the writer work together.
The plot in this penultimate issue surrounds the remaining forces assembling on Mars on two fronts – Tarzan and his Barsoomian allies seek out the infamous Rav Thavas for help while Evil Red Sonja and her allies tackle Issus head-on. Again, a lot happens fast, and introducing the weasely-yet-brilliant Rav Thavas to the mix adds another layer of plot potential as well as a little comic relief when Rav’s experiments go awry. To be clear, the comedy in this series isn’t jokey. The comedy lightens the mood to keep, what should be a dire and frightening disaster, entertaining. Issus’s attack is serious, and people are dying in horrific ways, but the heroes approach the challenge with confident determination rather than grim, angsty determination. The tone is what makes the difference between depressing and fun.
Carratú, Perez, Diaz, and Otsmane-Elhaou are nailing the tone to match and complement Van Lente’s writing. Characters over-express their emotions at the moment, adding to the energy of each scene. Carratú and Perez show an excellent sense of timing in the dark humor moments, and they’re not afraid to lean into the gorier aspects of horror. Diaz’s coloring in this issue (and the series as a whole) saturates the pages with a faint, sickly green to match the zombie horror, and Otsmae-Elhaou’s sound effects lettering captures unimaginable sounds (zombie gurgling?) believably.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you don’t recall how Tarzan wound up on Mars, first read our DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #3 review.
We begin with a visit to the laboratory of the infamous Mars scientist, Rav Thavos, as he develops a ray that will allow him to take control of zombies ravaging his world. The initial experiments don’t work out as planned. Suddenly, his work is interrupted by unexpected guests – Tarzan with his white ape friends, Carthoris, and Thuvia. The heroes have come to solicit Rav’s help to stop the zombies, unaware he’s already working on it.
Suddenly, Captain Future arrives to let Rav know he’s on the right track but steals Rav’s ray for his own purposes and teleports away. Meanwhile, Evil Red Sonja, Pantha, and Vampirella fight their way through the zombies on their way to Issus’s throne room. The Smiley sword realizes that every zombie Evil Red Sonja strikes down adds to his power, an observation that could come in handy later.
Eventually, all parties converge in Issus’s throne room – Captain Future with Rav’s zombie control ray, Evil Red Sonja and her supernatural friends, and Rav Thavos with the warriors of Mars and Earth. We conclude with a brutal fight, a stalemate, and a game of death.
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Final Thoughts
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DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #4 does what every comic should do – prioritize fun and excitement. The story is faster than an Olympic sprinter who’s had too much coffee, but the plot never feels confusing or rushed. The art complements the writing in timing and tone, and the end result is a wild adventure.
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