THE MADNESS #4, by AWA Studios on 11/8/23, recounts how Sarah and Rick met while Raven sets her sights on her latest target – Miss Victory.
The Details
- Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
- Art by: ACO, David Lorenzo
- Colors by: Marcelo Maiolo
- Letters by: Sal Cipriano
- Cover art by: ACO (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 8, 2023
Is THE MADNESS #4 Good?
Energy without purpose is chaos, or so the saying goes. J. Michael Straczynski’s rage-filled revenge story has delivered pure, chaotic energy ever since Raven emerged. In THE MADNESS #4, Straczynski shows Raven’s unstoppable energy has a purpose and a smidge of reason when she confronts another super who didn’t participate in her lover’s murder, giving readers a new facet of the main character’s personality.
When last we left Sarah/Raven, she engaged in a very lengthy torture session with one of the government’s smartest heroes to extract all the information she could about who was involved in dropping the bomb. Now, Raven tracks down Miss Liberty as one of the callous heroes who voted in favor of the assassination, but the brutally strong Astraea, who voted ‘no,’ stands in Raven’s way.
Since the bombing run, this is the first issue where Sarah and Raven are shown as two individuals who switch places over control of Sarah’s body, opening the door for Raven and Sarah to come into conflict. So far, the two minds agree on every step they take, but the seed is planted for Straczynski to direct the fight inward. We shall see.
What’s great about THE MADNESS #4? We praised the first three issues for Straczynski’s big wow moments and all-out emotion. Now, Straczynski shows readers what controlled, directed rage looks like, and it’s amazing.
What’s not so great about THE MADNESS #4? The first several pages are taken up with a flashback to how Sarah and Rick first met. Backstory is nice when building out the characters and the world, but it seemed superfluous because we already know the grief Sarah feels and how it motivates her actions.
How’s the art? Fantastic. ACO and Lorenzo are delivering killer visuals in this series. Better still, this issue presents quiet, intimate moments at the beginning of Rick and Sarah’s romance, as well as bone-crunching violence during the action scenes with Astraea and Miss Victory. ACO and Lorenzo are demonstrating an impressive amount of thematic range with their art.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s THE MADNESS #4 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE MADNESS #3 review to witness Raven’s talent for torture.
We begin with Raven narrating the first time she met Rick when they were both on opposite sides of the Law. Rick knew Sarah had powers, and her theft targets were always bad people who “deserved” what they got. Impressed by Rick’s charm, good looks, and ability to smoke Sarah out, their cat-and-mouse games bloomed into romance.
Now, we catch up with Raven in mid-battle against Astraea, the only person standing between Raven and Miss Victory. Astraea voted against the assassination, so she appealed to Sarah, knowing that Sarah only ever hurt anyone who she believed deserved it. Sarah agrees to a Parley with Miss Victory’s life on the bargaining table.
We conclude the issue by giving the finger, a finger taken, and the price for cowardice.
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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THE MADNESS #4 shifts the overwhelming atmosphere of uncontrollable rage to seething, directed anger when Raven encounters an innocent hero who makes an impassioned plea. Straczynksi’s writing is top-notch, and the art is powerful.
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