Dexter’s Laboratory #4 Review


The final issue to this arc is here. But do fans of the cartoon need to pick it up? Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

Failing to stop his sister, Dexter has been captured by her royal guards, and now faces punishment at the hands of Princess Dee Dee. As he struggles to endure her torment, can Dexter come up with one last-ditch plan to change their fates? Or is he doomed to live the rest of his life without science?

Dexter’s Laboratory 4_Preview PageI’m going to be honest: when I was growing up there were a handful of shows that I could watch for hours on end and not be bored. This franchise happened to be one of them! And I’m proud to report that at the end of this short-lived mini-series this creative team was competent enough to continue that trend despite the occasional narrative side-step.

Derek Fridolfs handles the script and right from the first page to the final panel this author translates the property without losing fondly remembered anecdotes. It would be easy for any scribe to get bogged down in the repetition of established antics, but this talent avoids that landmine by embracing a conclusion that sees Dexter admit something we all more than likely suspected. There had to be more reason for his resentment toward Dee Dee and in this outing we find out exactly what it is.

The art handed in by Ryan Jampole is perfectly suited to the text as the talent offers renditions that are in keeping with the franchise legacy. Each character is illustrated exactly as we remember them, and that would be my one quibble. The journey between mediums can be a route to further expression but the pencil strokes never take that risk. But when you add in the colors Jeremy Colwell the entire display is instantly pleasing for even the most discerning fan among us.

Dexter’s Laboratory #4 is a good conclusion that does what it needs to do in order to wrap up its narrative without tarnishing the reputation of a classic Cartoon Network icon. Recommended.

OUR RATING
7.5
  • + Dexter takes on a pretty pink world to retrieve Dee Dee!
  • + There’s a lot of worth in the text by Derek Fridolfs.
  • + Ryan Jampole offers a rather nostalgic display.
  • - The dialogue, at times, felt a bit too hammy…

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