Roku #4 (of 4): Deadliest Weapon in the World

Say it isn’t so! Roku’s first solo series has reached it’s violent and downright badass conclusion with issue #4, firmly establishing her as a force to be reckoned with in the Valiant Universe going forward.

If the first three issues weren’t intense enough, Roku #4 brings all the right pieces together for a finale that is beyond anything you could’ve expected. When the series first began, Roku had only limited appearances, mostly tied closely to the mythos surrounding the more widely known Ninjak. Giving Roku her very own series was undoubtedly a brilliant decision, but how would she play into a larger Valiant Universe and would she be able to hold her own? After four issues it’s safe to say that her introduction into a larger role for Valiant was an absolute success. This creative team has captured a voice and characterization that can outlast their own work and set this character up for continued success in the future.

It’s that good.

Aside from Bunn’s superb character work, the visuals from Ramon F. Bachs and Stephane Paitreau reach a new level of awesome in the final issue. We see everything from Roku firing machine guns to literally holding Ember-1 up with knife in hand all with her hair. The violence is brutal and the twists are satisfying, showing that this creative team both understands who this character needs to be in Valiant’s Universe and has a real story to tell.

Marybeth proves to be a factor that won’t be going away anytime soon as well in Roku #4. I had thought she was mainly a plot device meant to help transition Roku into her own series, but it looks like we have her and others like Ember-1 set up as recurring characters for Roku’s future. I do enjoy that these characters won’t just be disappearing, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I would have loved to see a more definitive connection to the larger Valiant Universe that Roku now finds herself in. The ending providing a moment that could have delivered this connection, but instead the creative team brought the series full circle with a more neatly tied ending bringing back Mr. Arvest, the one who sent her on this wild escapade to begin with back in issue #1. It’s certainly satisfying, but the fan in me wanted at least something from one of Valiant’s lineup of awesome characters coming into their big Valiant 2020 initiative.

Ultimately, Roku #4 is a powerful finish to a consistently great miniseries. It has great character growth and even better violent action, but more importantly, it’s a lot of fun to read. In one of my favorite nods, at the dramatic final page, readers are treated with a simple line declaring that Roku will in fact return. Big things are definitely coming for Roku and for those looking for a cool new character to dive into from Valiant, this four issue miniseries is a wonderful place to start!