Four Eyes #3 – Review

By Joe Kelly (writer) Max Fiumara (pencils, inks), and Nestor Pereyra (colors)

The Story: Our protagonist Enrico, full of pure innocence and unbridled optimism, goes on his first dragon egg hunt with a pack of unseemly and desperate characters. While working out his pervasive sense of loss over the death of his father, he meets other members of Boccini’s crew, as he travels into a dead-end, dragon-infested cave; where he meets this comic’s name sake.

What’s Good: Alright, I’m gonna try not to gush like a fanboy and keep some objective editorialism (yeah, I know, I made that last word  up), but really, this comic is magnificent. As much as I am in awe of Joe Kelly’s scripting and plotting, it’s Max Fiumara who gets to put a star on his refrigerator for this issue.  I wouldn’t believe he could top the dragon designs in the past couple issues, but he did. In fact, he destroyed them. The pandemonium in the cave, “when dragons attack,” was gloriously drawn. The scenes were emotive in the sense that I could feel the terror the humans were experiencing as the dragon tore into them. All the action in each panel was clear and the unique style that characterizes Fiumuara’s pencils remained in tact. Characters were expressive and natural. Setting, depth, and perspective were all precise.

Now, onto Kelly. This whole project works on so many levels and this issue exemplifies them all. First off, like any good story, it all hinges on the characters that comprise the story. From Fawkes, the tough as nails foreman with a soft heart, to Enrico’s caring mother, the whole cast is great. Obviously, Enrico is the motor of the whole story and he is an easy character to fall in love with. The way he handles his father’s death, specifically his near-euphoria in following in his footsteps even though it is clearly an almost certain death sentence, is very powerful and a depiction true to human nature.

The overall story here is classic and formulaic, especially the ending, and many aspects of the tale feel familiar. But perhaps ironically,  this doesn’t detract from the novelty of this tale. I mean we are talking about dragons and the great depression here–not exactly a common concept. Also, the fact that this is told masterfully, even the predictable events are highly enjoyable to read.

What’s Not So Good: With this comic as it stands on its own? Not a thing. However, the release dates and stability of this series is a real issue. But, let’s save that for the….

Conclusion: Obviously, the lateness of this issue’s release and the uncertainty of when the next issue is coming is frustrating. Very frustrating, in fact. I applaud Joe Kelly for owning up to this problem and formulating a plan to get back on track. But the reality is is that this stability is over half a year away, which is really disappointing from a customer’s perspective. Ultimately, the strength of this series will overcome the disastrous logistical end of it. Yet this is still a major gripe.

All that aside, this is my favorite comic on the stands right now, as it even ranks up there with my all-time favorites. I cannot remember being as sold on a series so early on as I am with Four Eyes. I am psyched about the ability of this series to appeal to a wide and diverse audience and I hope it catches on. This is a series that is good for the whole comic medium and its advancement.

Grade: A

-Rob G.