The Eight Second Delay: Cool Aesthetics Dominate In Lightstep #4
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
We see more of the attack on the Captain Samson radio show in the past, and, in the present, mercenaries interrogate a child on the whereabouts of Jazzman. Those mercenaries are interrupted by assassins with more training; they are also looking for Jazzman. They claim to be seeking revenge for a crime perpetrated by the Jazzman. Elsewhere, Jazzman and January barter the final recording of Captain Samson with a rich aristocratic woman for a far greater prize, but the aristocrat’s price is higher than expected.
Lightstep #4 plays further with science fiction tropes and the more realistic interpretation of how these things would work considering what we know about space travel. It’s a weaving, and at times confusing tale, but it does have some interesting moments to offer the reader.
Those more realistic details are offset by some surprisingly fantasy-minded elements.
We also learn more about the history of the Jazzman, and we get some insight into his motives and actions.
The new crew member from Hope Harbor (whose name genuinely escapes me), doesn’t get much to do in this issue unfortunately. She is an interesting character, and I was hoping we’d get to see how she gels with the rest of Jazzman’s crew.
The assassins we meet in this issue, the Umbra Ballerinas, are an interesting addition, even if their weapons seem to intentionally make no sense and are more than a little impractical.
The artwork of Milos Slavkovic and the overall design of this universe continue to be the strongest selling point of Lightstep. The Umbra Ballerinas themselves look quite cool, and the aesthetic of Jazzman’s own world is strong. HMT Studio covers the color work on this issue, and the palette is as vibrant, contrasting, and fantastical as ever.
Lightstep #4 is another visually appealing hampered by some writing missteps and a convoluted story. It’s still worth checking out, and the characters do have compelling moments. This one gets another recommendation. Feel free to pick it up.
Lightstep #4 comes to us from writers Milos Slavkovic and Mirko Topalski, artist and cover artist Milos Slavkovic, colors from HMT Studio, letterer Andrej Bunjac, and cover color artist Tiberiu Beka.
