DOWNLOAD #4 – Review

DOWNLOAD #4, from Red 5 Comics on April 13th, 2022, ends the current arc with a frantic battle against hostile aliens, a warning of a future threat, and one very angry Grandma.

The Details

• Written By: Scott Chitwood
• Art By: Danny Luckert
• Colors By: P.H. Gomes
• Letters By: Troy Peteri, Dave Lanphear
• Cover Art By: Danny Luckert
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: April 13, 2022

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

DOWNLOAD #4 marks the end of the arc, and it’s a fun, energetic thrill ride across space and time. We’ve compared this series to the family-friendly, sci-fi Spielberg adventures of the 80s and 90s with good reason. All the tropes of the era are present – kids who are smarter and more heroic than the adults, a fantasy element that gets dropped into the kids’ lap that leads to an epic challenge or quest, enough danger and violence to ratchet up the attention, and a feel-good ending. While this may all sound like the series is full of predictable tropes that rely on nostalgia, there’s enough originality in the concept to keep the entertainment engaging.

This issue works because there’s a genuine threat posed by the aliens that make the outcome uncertain. Trapped in another world via a portal, Eric and his friends do not have a guaranteed or obvious route to escape. You could genuinely foresee one or more of the kids getting killed or stranded as a plausible outcome, and the lack of predictability makes it easy for the reader to get hooked until the very end.

The plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats, but it’s the pacing that amps up your heart rate. The sprint to escape starts on page one and doesn’t let up until almost the end of the issue. The pacing is frantic without cutting corners or rushing and you can feel yourself cheering these kids on. Put together with the excellent plotting, this is a rollercoaster issue.

The pacing and action are helped along by the excellent artwork from Gomes and Luckert. The alien designs are terrifyingly dangerous, and the action is choreographed for maximum speed. The character’s faces tend to look heavily referenced (i.e. traced from photos) but it’s not egregious enough to be more than a minor distraction.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

If you don’t remember how Eric and his friends got trapped in an alien world, first read our DOWNLOAD #3 review.

We pick up from the last issue’s cliffhanger with Eric and his friends beset by alien critters after the portal closed behind them. Making a snap decision, Eric tells his friends to snatch up whatever gadgets they can and run for a nearby sewer pipe. They make but just barely and stay out of sight long enough to make a plan.

The only option is to use the knowledge in Eric’s brain to repair the portal on their side and re-open it. They use the scavenged gadgets to build makeshift weapons and shields to fight off the alien critters long enough for Eric to work. Just when the portal is ready to open, a giant robot critter charges over the hill toward their position. We conclude the issue with bubbles, bluffs, and goodbyes.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.