After four issues, does this new direction generate enough forward momentum to garner the attention of franchise fans?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

A new direction in the FATHOM Universe begins!

As Vana brings her attacks below the surface and against the rest of the Blue, Aspen must return to Muria and team up with Killian in an attempt to stem the tide of destruction while trying to discover the truth of what Vana’s intentions are. But whose side is Killian really on, and are his motives as genuine as they appear to be?

I can say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this volume. As a jump on point its tipped and toed between the use of its history and the acceptance of new elements, but in the end it yields a lot of ground to the former. To that conclusion the creative team still manages to instill a fresh spin during these dire proceedings. To sum up: the tide surely rises as its current remains strong.

David Wohl uses his grasp of the source material to offer context without being too heavy handed.  That might be the strength of the piece, because normally we’d see hints at previous volumes to fill in these innate tensions, but instead the author has given his audience the chance to just experience them as they occur.  And despite some awkwardly handled re-introductions their underlying meanings are apparent from the first page to the final shocking panel.

The art by Cory Smith and Alex Konat has some innate visual differences, but oddly enough the transitions between the two didn’t leave me with a sense of rendition whiplash.  Instead their work fit the text they were given, allowing the audience to simmer and breath within the confines of these murky depths.  I did find a couple instances where the detail shift left me a bit underwhelmed, but for the most part I found enough eye candy to recognize the stability therein.

All New Fathom #4 is another strong entry to a re-invigorated franchise that more than deserves your time and attention.   Recommended.

4/5