Review: The McCleans Uncover Dark Secrets In ‘Nuclear Family’ #4
by Brendan M. Allen
The McClean kids are running around the underground bunker with a kid they met in the last chapter. Their parents are locked away in conveniently adjoining cells, where they’re able to communicate through, I dunno, vents? Anyway, the kiddos stumble into a room where they’re clearly not meant to be, and it goes all sideways again.
I really don’t have much of a clue what’s happening here, and not in the way I like when it comes to these stories. I’m having a hard time connecting the chain of events from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next.
I kind of see where Stephanie Phillips is going, but maybe not? It just feels like this concept wasn’t really meant to exist as a mini.
I’m really torn here. If you go back to my review of the first chapter, I really wanted to like this thing. The story had all the hallmarks of a weird little indie. (I love weird little indies.) It had a great premise. Interesting characters. Looked fantastic. It just fell off the rails somewhere between that first installment and now. Even just a couple more chapters would have sorted everything a little better.
Nuclear Family blows off next month, and I’m curious how it’s going to wrap in just the one remaining chapter. I’m trying, but I just don’t see it.
Nuclear Family #4, AfterShock Comics, 26 May 2021. Written by Stephanie Phillips, art by Tony Shasteen, color by JD Mettler, letters by Troy Peteri.
Summary
Nuclear Family came out of the gates strong, but broke down somewhere between the first chapter and the fourth. It’s hard to believe there’s just the one issue left. Not really seeing how everything’s going to come together from this point.