LYNX #4, by G-Man Comics on Kickstarter, sends the feline fighting team on a mission to arrest a brooding vigilante and his sidekick before their unsanctioned crime-fighting gets someone hurt.
The Details
- Written by: Rik Offenberger
- Art by: Alan Faria
- Colors by: Alan Faria
- Letters by: Eric N. Bennett
- Cover art by: Alan Faria
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $5.00
- Release date: June 2024 (estimated)
What Is LYNX #4 About?
Mateo Martinez and Maya Santiago make up the costumed fighting team known as Lynx. Together, they aid the FBI to rid the streets of crime and occasionally join the superhero fighting team known as the G-Men when the challenge is too big for any one hero.
Lynx #4 begins with a brief prologue showing Mateo using his superior fighting skills to take down a flamethrowing arsonist called Fuego (that’s Fire in Spanish). After brief yet impressive acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat, Mateo knocks Fuego out. Just as the fight ends, Mateo receives a call from Agent Kirby of the FBI requesting a meeting.
Later, Mateo and Maya are asked to hunt down an unsanctioned vigilante calling himself Vencejo (Spanish for the breed of bird known as a Swift), and his 9-year-old sidekick Called Pollita (Spanish for the Chick). The FBI believes Vencejo’s antics are breaking the law, and bringing a sidekick along puts Pollita in danger.
Through FBI records and a flashback, we learn Vencejo is Ricardo Tapia, a humble diner owner whose daughter was killed by a sleazy racketeer demanding protection money. After his daughter’s death, Ricardo closed his shop and disappeared. A year ago, Vencejo appeared on the scene and we see how he rescued a girl abandoned on the streets. Ricardo took her in, fed her, educated her, and now she fights alongside Vencejo to rid the streets of crime.
Now, Lynx intercepts Vencejo and Pollita at a check-cashing store robbery. The robbers are quickly foiled, but Vencejo and Pollita aren’t so easy to catch. After a scuffle and a hard-fought capture, Vencejo and Pollita are taken into custody. Later, Lynx makes the case for letting the fighting team go so they can track down Pollita’s missing mother.
In the end, the FBI agrees. Lynx teams up with Vencejo to Pollita’s mother’s last known location, but they learn too late about the mother’s tragic end. Ultimately, the FBI agrees to let the bird-themed team continue fighting crime under Lynx supervision, but Maya makes a sacrifice that could haunt her in exchange for the deal.
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What did we like about LYNX #4?
The issue begins with an editor’s note that clearly spells out the desire to explore a more realistic bent on the classic hero and underaged sidekick trope. For the most part, the realistic approach succeeds without getting creepy or weird. Vencejo’s look, fighting ability, and intimidation factor are a good fit for the G-Men. And the Latino flavor of this comic is a welcome change of pace.
What didn’t we like about LYNX #4?
There are several key spots where the plot skips over an important point. For example, you witness Ricardo finding his daughter’s lifeless body, but you don’t know how she died. You see Pollita leap into action as Vencejo’s sidekick, but you don’t know how much time passed between the point Vencejo found her and the evolution to sidekick. You don’t see any of the internal struggle or thought process that led Vencejo to make her a sidekick. You see Lynx team up with Vencejo to break up a drug cartel in their search for Pollita’s mother, but you never learn how Vencejo knew about the drug cartel in the first place. It’s as if a few pages of important story points are missing.
How’s the Art?
Alan Faria’s art delivery here is the best we’ve seen in a G-Man comic to date. Faria’s character details and figure work are excellent, and the color application is outstanding. On the whole, this issue approaches Big 2 quality.
Final Thoughts
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LYNX #4 introduces the G-Men to a new fighting team with a tragic past and a bright future. Offenberger’s plot brings Vencejo and Pollita to life in vivid details, but the plot skips over a few key elements. Thankfully, Faria’s art is some of the best we’ve seen from this publisher.
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