Fearless Defenders #4 Review


Previously in Fearless Defenders:

  • Valkyrie & her companions headed off to rescue Dani Moonstar from the evil Caroline Le Fey
  • Upon finding where she is kept, they have their 1st encounter with the Doom Maidens
  • Turns out…Valkyrie used to be one…Yikes

Here is the summary from Marvel:

Come for the banter, stay for the surprises! Everything Valkyrie knows about her origin is wrong! And Caroline LeFay unleashes her Doom Maidens upon the world!

With the Doom Maidens having them at a severe disadvantage, our intrepid heroines retrieve Dani Moonstar and retreat (much to Hippolyta’s chagrin). Hiding out in one of Misty Knight’s safe houses in New York, the women debate on what to do next as Valkyrie begins to remember pieces of her past and her time as a Doom Maiden. With the Doom Maiden’s now fully awake and wrecking havoc much to Le Fay’s approval; Misty hatches a plan to even out the numbers, while Valkyrie, Hippolyta, & Dani (now possessing her Valkyrie powers) go to face the Maidens.

Cullen Bunn still continues to tell a pretty good story with some good characters, despite a  couple holes (If Dani could use her Valkyrie powers, or at least her armor, how come she didnt use them when she was ambushed in issue 2?). The mystery of the Doom Maiden’s is opened up a bit more, and the revelation that Valkyrie used to be one was a nice touch as she gets some nice development here (we even see her fighting Odin). The women still have some pretty good and sometimes humorous interactions with one another. If I have to choose one character that stood out to me, it would have be Hippolyta, she’s a fun character with a few good lines in this issue. Caroline Le Fay continues to be menacing, even though her origin is still a mystery, and the Doom Maidens are shown to be a legitimate threat.

Will Sliney’s art continues to be passable, but there are a few awkward moments spread throughout the book. However, there is a nice one page spread of the Doom Maidens riding two huge, worm serpent hydra like things into a nearby town. The colors in this issue are all vibrant and standout when needed. Veronica Gandini does a great job of using the color’s to give the book the right atmosphere, Valkyire’s flashback to her fight with Odin uses yellows and browns to make you feel like you’re in the past.

Fearless Defenders #4 is another good issue that advances the story pretty well, and sets up next issue well enough, but it is still missing that push to make it standout in Marvel’s NOW line-up. Despite a couple plot holes and awkward pencils, it was still a good issue and I continue to recommend this series to anyone who likes swords a sorcery.

3.5/5

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