Talon #4

PREFACE

First off, ignore the solicit info. It is most likely mixed up with a different issue and will only confuse you if you think about it. But, the bank heist continues and Calvin Rose realizes that Felix Harman aka the Gotham Ripper is a tougher foe than he realizes. Not only must he save himself, but his new friends along with his main reason for survival Casey and Sarah Washington, but on to the review.

PLOT:

Literally we start where last issue ended. Calvin is in the grasps of one of, if not the most, ruthless Talons the Court has ever used. He tries to make an escape, whilst the group is trying to get out as well, that is until the Talon in charge of security realizes he has been bamboozled. Anya, a former member of the League of Assassins, uses some prototype Mr. Freeze tech to take down Roger Black, but Calvin is having a much harder time with his own foe. The team is able to escape, though Calvin is fighting for his life. After a trip through a sewer and a subway car, Cal seems to have escaped the Gotham Butcher. Casey patches up a battered Calvin, and news soon comes as Felix is banging on the group's front door. Casey orders an evacuation, Sarah runs away to find her mom staying behind, and Calvin offers his life in order to stop Felix. The plan goes off, with Casey's organization in shambles, but notices Calvin behind her, having escaped certain death. The issue ends with Cal, Casey, and Sarah going back to Gotham, and Felix Harmon still ready for another fight.

THE GOOD:

I know last issue I mentioned that it needed more action, well this issue is action packed and is the highest paced issue of them all. Better than that, it is pulled off greatly by Tynion and Snyder. I love the fact that this is the first time we have seen Calvin unable to overcome a Talon. Also, it was very smart of the creative team to actual have Casey's team use Mr. Freeze tech, as it is the number 1 weapon to use against a Talon. I know a lot of people really digged Casey's bravery and attitude last issue, but this time around we see here with her back against the wall, and how ready she is to die for her cause. That right there defines her character, and it was done perfectly. We also see the potential end to Casey's organization, and while this may be upsetting to some, it does open her up to be more of a frequent character in the series. The group is only a bit disbanded, and not intentionally either; they are separated but I really hope we see these characters again. Primarily, there were 4 members of Casey's entourage that stuck out, but spoilers

We are sad to see Nicky get his neck snapped by Felix

It is sad that these characters won't be so heavily invested in the current story line, but I think it will come out as a positive. One final thought, Felix Harmon has basically just set himself up to be the biggest bad Talon we have seen thus far, and I believe he will make one hell of an arch-nemesis if you will, to Calvin.

BEST STORY MOMENT: Casey's willingness to sacrifice herself for not only her daughter, but the people she has been protecting.

Art-wise, Guillem March, I have said this time and again, is perfect for this series. Though, there were some problems and some confusion, this was a high paced issue and he still brought his stuff to the table.

BEST ART MOMENT: My favorite page, out of this high paced and wonderfully done issue, will have to be the last page with Calvin and Casey huddled together, unaware that Felix is still alive.

THE BAD:

This is the first issue out of the series that has been so high paced, that it doesn't necessarily detract itself from the rest of the series but definitely sets itself apart. Not in a bad way either, but it is definitely an issue that is very different in terms of pacing. There was only one instance, where things sort of settled down for a second, and then sped right back up. Sometimes this can be very detrimental to an issue, but thankfully it was done really well. Just a warning to the creative team. Though I liked Casey's group, and was saddened by their departure, I wasn't expecting them to be gone so soon. We only had two issues with their appearance, and who knows when we will see these characters again. I was just hoping that Calvin would have to leave and would occasionally cross paths, especially more often than none to see Casey. It will be interesting to just have Casey and Sarah with Calvin, but it could have been more interesting for Sarah to have stuck with Anya. That way, we can see how Casey is solo, and see the interactions between Clark and herself. Honestly, I think I would have waited one more issue to disband the organization, even though this is a high paced issue, a good amount of stuff happens, but not so much as though the reader is being smothered. That is just my personal opinion on the matter. I have looked back, and noticed that Felix's dialogue starts to border on the ridiculous, just like his size. I know he is a blood thirsty killing machine, but just a heads up to future issues with him and his speaking.

WORST STORY MOMENT: It wasn't necessarily bad, but it was sad to see the group gone so quickly.

March continues to be a perfect match for the series, but there were panels that were confusing to watch. Also there were times were there were long view shots that had very little detail to them, especially Felix. He is huge guy, but sometimes you couldn't really tell how big he was because of the way he was proportioned to Calvin.

WORST ART MOMENT: There were several panels where Anya, and Joey were drawn with very little detail. It really detracted from certain pages, especially since Guillem has been consistent in the past.

OVERALL:

I adjusting the way I review my issues, because I want to get more in depth and that means that I am alot tougher on the issues. Nonetheless, this issue set itself apart in a lot of ways, and 90% of that was just plain excellent. It really is another issue that proves how well this series is being handled, and how it shouldn't be underestimated. This issue made me love this series more and more, and has me hopeful for the future. Highly recommended, but I do advise that you should prior issues, if not read issues 1 and 3 and you will be fine.

ART: 4.5/5

STORY: 4/5

SCORE: 4.5/5

( I think it earned this spot, as there were only a good bit of nitpicks, and nothing that was major)