Advance Review: Secret Identities #4

writers: Jay Faerber, Brian Joines / art: Ilias Kyriazis / Image Comics Ready to get back to the Front Line? Perfect, let’s get into it! Here’s some of what you can look forward to in the fourth installment of this uniquely diverse super hero series. Secret Identities #4 is different than previous issues, and depending on your tastes, that may be for better or worse. To be honest, 6 pages into this issue I was not feeling it. Most of the issue follows 2 characters of the Front Line in an isolated plot that felt more like a kids’ cartoon episode than a mature comic, complete with quick setup and a neatly packaged moral at the end, but in between are some gems that make the issue worthwhile.

In Secret Identities #’s 1-3, the series doesn’t delve too much into any particular character; instead we get tiny insights here and there, spread across a million characters. It’s been effective so far, but #4 shifted the trend, and I’m glad, as they needed to narrow the focus towards deeper character development. That focus was placed on the big-guy lava monster, Vesuvius. Vesuvius is my favorite character, because who could dislike a gentle lava-giant? While this issue’s story feels like a rather quick one-shot, you can look forward to some backstory and a better understanding of who he is, and that’s a great plus for readers. Outside of Vesuvius there are brief moments covering other characters as well, although only a few members of the team are even present in this issue.

Surprising…