1st Impressions: The Final Plague # 4

THE FINAL PLAGUE # 4
Written by JD Arnold
Art by Tony  Guaraldi-Brown & Manuel  Martinez
Action Lab Danger Zone

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                Holy $#iT!! Yeah … plague zombie animals killing people and people going crazy … understandably. 

ART:

                Guaraldi-Brown once again gives us a macabre picture of the world, dealing with a plague in this twisted zombie story. Guaraldi-Brown gives us a good amount of detail in his rougher, sketchy style as he gives us dead people, ravenous animals and humanity showing some of its worst quality in style.  Guaraldi-Brown and Martinez set up some great, graphic panels with a good sense of color that helps fit the mood of the story and really sucks you in to the bleakness of the chapter. The animals battling were quite epic to see as our artists render it well.

                The overall composition of panels with everything from animals attacking to people running were also set up well to display the faster pace of the story as it reaches its climax. There as a decent amount of gore but not overly splashed everywhere which helped the balance of the book. The people were drawn with some decent detail and really looked as it fit the story of the book. Once again, a supremely well done job by Guaraldi-Brown and Martinez.

WRITING:

                As we close in on the finale next issue, Arnold starts making sure we steamroll to the end of the story with some very interest scenes and powerful dialogue. Aforementioned, we see the very worse of humanity a couple of times in this issue to help express the dire straits the characters are in. Arnold gives us chilling dialogue in several scenes while also continue to develop the characters from the lab in New Jersey and the family out in Iowa.

                The fact that people were thinking this was an end of the world event was made believable through the strong dialogue to go along with the art this issue. It ran the gambit of people in natural disasters: from people who are scared that it’s the end of the world, to people stepping up to help others to people abandoning what they own or other people in other to survive to just people who have no idea what’s going on.

                Arnold shows all these very well throughout the issue. He also does a great job with pacing the issue so that little by little, things change and work out. The story continued to climb towards a pulse pounding cliffhanger which really sets up the final issue and builds on what came before.  A superb job by Arnold this issue.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                All of the story and work done by Arnold, Guaraldi-Brown and Martinez start leading to a grand climax and this issue sets things up for the end beautifully.  The plots are lining up for a big finale and the characterization is top notch. This is horror and comics at its best.

RATING:

                I give The Final Plague # 4 a 10 … out of 10! Buy it now!!