Extremity #4 Review

Revenge Served...Extreme!

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: June 7, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99

With the previous issue of Extremity setting up some things that could come to a head pretty shortly, I come into this issue excited to see stuff getting serious. It’s been a big surprise to me just how much I’ve liked this book and my only hope is that it keeps the streak going. Follow on below to see if it sticks to the trend or takes a, hopefully short lived, dip in quality.

We come into the issue getting more of a look at the customs of this world as Thea and her father are paying respects to her fallen mother. With an arch in place of a gravestone, Jerome makes his way through the arch before asking Thea about her trepidation. We get some insight into Thea and more of her thinking as she explains how it becomes harder and harder to walk through the arch each year. It’s the custom of at least this tribe of people to go through the arches to gain embrace of the deceased person’s memories and sprit. They seem to be seeking what almost seems like last goodbyes as they head off into a big confrontation.

The thing I have praised this comic book the most on is its ability to trickle in world building without it seeming too over the top or forced. This conversation that could just be had on the tribes ship as they talk about their heading to battle, but it adds so much more when getting a glimpse of the burial practices while also reiterating the cause for everything up to this point. This is a revenge story through and through and here we are reminded of it while making it so much more.

We get a glimpse of the Paznina as they catch what seems like the remains from the battle of the previous issue before heading off to where they believe Jerome and his tribe will go next. After this small glimpse we are shown a man who is putting away a giant monster that looks like a praying mantis as the man, named Dag, is warned of an incoming ship. It is in fact Jerome and his tribe, which we find out as Jerome instructs everyone to stay on the ship unless they see weapons or more come into play and he leaves the ship to confront Dag. We end up getting a confrontation between the two that leads to a chain of events that I am anxious to get to.

The ending cliffhanger we get, I fear could head into cliché territory with what was set up in this issue, but I’m not letting it get in the way too much as this book to this point has done a great job of casting off expectations. The exchanges that do lead to the cliffhanger though are great and set up nicely in the events leading to this point. Once again we also get glimpses of world building in the idea of regular creatures being grown to monstrous sizes and it’s introduced in a pretty general small way instead of having them just scattered around up to this point.

Overall this book continues to be a delight; the world building continues to grow, previous set-ups are delivered on pretty quickly, and we get a small bit of the great action that sold me on this book in the original issue. If I had to make any complaint it would be the rapidity that things seem to be coming to a head. I haven’t paid attention to things regarding this book in interviews or solicits, but the pace that it’s going and the way things are developing puts me in mind of a mini. Things like Dag in this issue, I almost wish was hinted at earlier, or the things that develop in this issue from previous set-ups I almost wish they were given a little more time to develop. Things just don’t seem to get a long enough time to breathe, and I feel like some things almost seem rushed.

Bits and Pieces:

This book continues to be one of my favorite reads every month. More world building and great character moments move this series to a head in almost too fast of a paced. I think some things could be given a little more room to breathe.

9.5/10