Hellverine #4: A Not So Fiery Finish

Hellverine’s visual spectacle can not be denied. It was almost certainly a big draw for the series at the outset, and each of the first three issues delivered vivid, exciting artwork. But the series wasn’t just an excuse to keep setting Logan on fire. An unusual but effective father/son story uplifted those first three issues. Now Hellverine #4 tries to provide an ending as strong as everything that’s led up to it.

Torn apart by grief and realizing that Bagra-ghul has changed since it inhabited him, Logan transfers the spirit back to Akihiro in Hellverine #4’s opening pages. While the two men discuss how they will stop Project Hellfire and what Akihiro’s future with Bagra-ghul will look like, the previously paralyzed Lieutenant Townsend (who was infused with Hellfire at the end of the previous issue) is tracking down the remaining Hellfire soldiers. But there’s no telling whether any of these men can stop General Harms’ plan to expand his sacrifices and the Hellfire project far beyond a small group of dead soldiers.

Related: Hellverine Rides Again in New Ongoing Series As Limited Series Wraps

Readers unaware that this is the mini-series’ final issue might be surprised by its quick ending. Hellverine #4 feels unusually compressed. Percy speeds through the issue, bypassing potential emotional beats in favor of rushing to the end. Arguably these emotional beats are secondary to the story and the featured interaction between Logan and Akihiro. But Percy did make space for such character examinations in the previous three issues, so their absence is noticeable. A major example is the truncated encounter between Lieutenant Townsend and one of the Hellfire soldiers who was previously a corporal under his command. It starts off strong but cuts away quickly and is never followed up on.

Percy does wrap up the series’ plot tidily. Some of it is predictable–General Harms’ actions won’t surprise anyone. And overall Hellverine #4 is a race to the finish that could have used extra breathing room. But it does what it needs to do. And while the issue leaves open the possibility for more Hellverine related stories, it doesn’t leave any story points unresolved that won’t be addressed until a future installment.

Logan and Akihiro’s interactions are the real highlight in Hellverine #4. But even as Percy focuses on their relationship, he doesn’t load up the dialogue with flowery emotional discourse. This isn’t just a case of these two characters not being the most outwardly available people around. Part of it comes from the fact that Bagra-ghul is almost a third party to the conversation. Akihiro’s reaction to the overall situation is informed by his connection to the demon.

The most overtly emotional Logan/Akihiro moment actually comes when Logan is alone, fearing that Akihiro is dead. The series’ third person narration digs into what Logan is thinking far more than dialogue does later in the issue. Hellverine #4 opens with this almost gut wrenching moment, and it’s a very strong beginning to the series’ final entry.

Compared to the rest of the series, Hellverine #4 is visually tame. Much of this owes to the relative dearth of fire in the issue which doesn’t let D’Armata shine quite as much. So while his work is still very effective, it isn’t as compelling on its own. It feels instead like more of a background piece to the visual experience. D’Armata is most effective in the opening pages as a half on fire Logan effectively becomes a human flamethrower in order to put Bagra-ghul back into Akihiro, and when a Hellfire imbued Lieutenant Townsend makes his debut.

Ohta’s work stands out more here than in previous issues. Townsend is a key character, and his emotional state is easier to read thanks to less patched together looking augmentations. Harms is open with his true appearance in Hellverine #4, and keeping the horns that grow out of his rough looking face visible throughout the issue builds up his threatening nature going into his final actions. The general’s true appearance is as effective in wider panels when he is further away as it is in close-ups.

Particularly successful is a scene set in a diner featuring Akihiro and Logan. Akihiro is stuffing his face with hamburgers through much of the scene leaving little more than his eyes to convey any kind of response to much of what Logan says. His emotions appear to range from distraction to impatience to borderline hostility.

Lanham’s lettering mostly works. His choices of white text against an orange/red fill for Akihiro/Bagra-ghul’s dialogue (which has appeared earlier in the series) isn’t the easiest to read. But the very limited dialogue that the character has makes this a minor criticism.