Euthanauts #4 Makes For Fascinating But Alienating Reading
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The Euthanauts lost Mercy in Deathspace, and Thalia pushed her exploration to the limit trying to bring Mercy back. Mercy’s ex-husband manipulated her to come with him like he did in life. Now, the Euthanauts must find a way to find Mercy and bring her back. Circe goes to find Mercy’s body and has another brush with Karen. Thalia and Indigo talk about other ways to explore Deathspace, and Thalia realizes that she needs to find Mercy’s other daughter, Diana.
The gang has a pressing mission in this issue of Euthanauts, and that brings a much-needed sense of urgency to the comic series, which has suffered from a meandering tone in the first two issues.
That meandering feeling is still present, even if it is less pronounced.
The ideas of Euthanauts are very creative, and the characters are solid and interesting. That said, the metaphysical nature means the reader is often at a loss as to what exactly is happening or how the current course of action is advancing that tale. It means the story isn’t predictable–which is good–but it means you’re often more lost than the characters.
That’s the risk when your crafting rules, universes, and concepts whole cloth. It’s admirable and damn ambitious, but you’re risking a lot.
All things considered, I don’t dislike Euthanauts #4. It’s not a bad comic, but it’s hard to get into due to the ample metaphysicality and its intricate connection to every aspect of the story. I like Thalia, Gui, Circe, and Indigo; it’s just hard to get absorbed by their story.
Nick Robles’ artwork is excellent at least. That strange realm of Deathspace has an interesting aesthetic, and he renders it well. I especially like the look of Indigo’s Euthanaut appearance. The texturing and detailing of the comic is very good, too. Eva de la Cruz’s color work keeps things vibrant and adds life to some of the drabber settings.
Euthanauts #4 is a frustrating undertaking. Tini Howard has scripted an interesting world with good characters and a fascinating hook, but the story keeps you at arms length. You’re never too sure what exactly is going on or how it connects to Deathspace or Mercy. If you’ve liked the issues that have come before, then you’ll likely be grabbed by this one too. Otherwise, skip it or wait for a collected edition; I have a feeling this is a comic series that really comes together once everything is revealed and on the table.
Euthanauts #4 comes to us from writer Tini Howard, artist and cover artist Nick Robles, color artist Eva de la Cruz, letterer Neil Uyetake, and variant cover artists Nick Robles and Katie Skelly.
