Union Jack (2006 Series) #4

December 19, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: London Falling Part Four
Rating: T+

Union Jack and his team race to save London from the Dreadnought!

Writer: Christos N. Gage
Pencils: Mike Perkins
Inks: Andrew Hennessy
Colors: Laura Villari
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Mike Perkins
Publisher: Marvel Comics

As the Dreadnought robot attacks Trafalgar Square, Union Jack and his “team” – Valentina DeFontaine, Sabra and the Arabian Knight – charge to the rescue. The fight only takes up the first half of the issue, and the rest deals with the fallout as Britain rallies behind their “working man’s hero,” and Union Jack finds the truth about the battles he’s just fought.

I haven’t read the first three issues of this miniseries. I regret that now. Christos N. Gage (who impressed me a lot with his Deadshot miniseries a while back) does a remarkable job with this sort of action tinged with mystery. This time out, he’s got some great character interaction as well. What exactly makes Union Jack a “working man’s hero” is still kind of vague to me, but I’ve definitely got a handle on what sort of character he is here. The interaction between the rest of his team, particularly the grudging respect between Sabra and Arabian Knight, is also a very nice touch.

Mike Perkins’ art is equally as good as the writing. Along with Hennessy and Villari, they’ve crafted a really nice, lush comic book that very much taps into the sort of mood Captain America evokes these days. (Not a surprise, since Perkins has worked on this book as well).

The story was a little tough for me to follow, but it was good enough for me to give this the highest praise one can give the last issue of a miniseries he hasn’t sampled before: this comic made me want to go out and read the first three issues. I think that’s saying something.

Rating: 8/10