The latest chunk of this underwater odyssey comes to a finish, but was it worth the wait?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

Michael Turner’s latest FATHOM volume reaches its thrilling conclusion…

With the sinister inhabitants of the Red Ocean dispatched thanks to her heroic efforts, Aspen Matthews believes that her problems may finally be over. However, upon returning her companions Colin and Judith home safely above the surface, a far more threatening peril awaits them-the vile, parasitic ceratonotus steiningeri!

Brace yourself, because the world-changing epic finale of volume four will alter the future landscape of the FATHOM universe forever!

As far as the climax of a story is concerned, there’s always a lot of pressure for any creative team to deliver something massive.  An arc needs to feel like it was worth the last several months of investment while simultaneously building toward whatever future the people behind the narrative literally have in mind.

David Wohl successfully lends his talents to this book to offer a somewhat satisfying script that sees this tale wrap up the majority of its loose ends while clearing its proverbial stage.  There were a couple points within the journey itself felt very underutilized, specifically how quickly last issue’s cliffhanger handily wrapped up without any apparent consequences. Despite those bumps in the road the greater package of this romp more than earns a spot on your pull-list if for no other reason than the splash add at the end of the comic book.

The art by Alex Konat like the script has its share of both highs and lows.  But in terms of overall quality the illustrator skillfully takes a property created by one of the foremost revered artists of the previous twenty years and he successfully carries on his legacy.  Each pencil stroke easily builds on the world of the Blue and despite some off looking moments I was thoroughly impressed with the job on display.

Michael Turner’s Fathom (vol.4) #9  is a good comic book that doesn’t do enough to make it a must buy but it nonetheless earns a recommendation.

3.5/5