Umbral #4 Review

What will Rascal do when faced with pirate ghosts? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“AND BLACK WATERS REMAIN”
Rascal is trapped in the Umbral, Dalone is down and out, and a certain pirate ghost has vengeance on his mind!
THE PARANOID DARK FANTASY CONTINUES!

Umbral is probably one of the strangest series I have ever read, but in a good way. The fantasy style along with it’s mysterious plot makes it a gripping read, with it’s dark overtone adding much needed depth. This tone continues throughout this issue, and with the addition of ghost pirates, along with and Umbral version of Arthir it makes the story very interesting.

Antony Johnston once again does a tremendous job of the script for this series, building yet more suspense. Johnston does however not really give too much plot development in this issue, as despite there being some progression, along with some new additions, the story as a whole didn’t really progress much. Despite this Johnston still managed to grab my attention throughout, with the interactions being very interesting. Johnston also utilised the Umbral version of Arthir perfectly in this issue, and showed just how much it takes for the Umbral to control their forms.

Christopher Mitten artwork throughout this series has been simply amazing, with his rough and gritty style being perfect for this story. Where Mitten excels the most however has to be the way he draws the dark creatures that are the Umbral, and along with his magnificent scenery this adds brilliant tone and atmosphere to the issue. Mitten also gives a dramatic flare to the story as well, with his layouts and character expressions being extremely impactful. The quality of the art isn’t entirely down to Mitten though, as despite the majority being so, it takes the fabulous colours of Jordan Boyd to give the perfect finishing touch.

Umbral continues to be a fantastic series with a wonderful setting, as despite it’s lagging plot it has plenty of suspense and promise. Recommended.