By Title: Secret Empire #4
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writers: Nick Spencer
Artists: Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Sunny Gho
Story Rating: 9
Art Rating: 8
Color Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8.3
The Secret Empire continues to throw the Avengers in constant chaos as factions across the planet win and lose the never-ending arms race. The Marvel Comics universe falls into more turmoil as more blood is shed to obtain victory. In the issue Ultron returns with full force as his essence is fused with Hank Pym. The Hydra order and the Underground resistance of heroes are brought together in an attempt to obtain a shard of the powerful Cosmic Cube. The two factions clash in the lair of Ultron’s super tech city hidden in Alaska.
Nick Spencer writes crucial character development as the story progresses. Ultron himself captures all the fighting heroes and forces them into a confined room. The situation escalates, as each of the heroes must confront their pasts. Ultron creates a psychological means of hurting Captain America, Ironman, and the other heroes until they reach a breaking point. Ultron’s agenda is very complex for his end goal is to see the destruction of earth. The Hydra order cleared the way for Ultron and his endless army of robots.
The team leading the artwork is Leinil Franics Yu, Gerry Alanguilan and Sunny Gho. They come together to create a magnificent atmosphere and depth to the art. The comic starts off with cool colors with shades of blue and grey as characters travel through a deep forest. The mood is relaxed and calm for a few moments until another panel transition.
The rest of the comic turns to darker visuals with strong tints of red and black. Shading increases to draw out the emotion of characters in close up shots or dramatic angles mainly clinging to the eyes. The shading technique leaves a sense of mystery, for the character thoughts remain unknown to everyone else.
The comic manages to leave more questions about possible outcomes for both the Hydra Empire and the Underground factions. What actions will either side take to win an impossible war once and for all? The next issue will justify the suspense built up from the very beginning since the betrayal of Captain America. Dive into the mind of Ultron the most powerful cybernetic force amongst the Marvel Universe.
