Is there enough fuel left in this odyssey to garner your attention?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Barry Chase, a.k.a. Flyboy, returns in shame to Sol City after his failed attempt to start a new career elsewhere under a different name. He finds himself a man without a home, ridiculed by the press and abandoned by those he thought were his friends. Alone… until the notorious female villain Moonglow makes him an offer he may find too good to refuse. Will Flyboy cross the line from hero to villain, and is he prepared to pay the ultimate price for that decision?

What we hold in our hands is the most emotional issue to come out of this burgeoning property.  The creative team has crafted a fairly by the numbers tale that follows the exploits of a city without its hero.  And after four entries things come to a boiling point, as the audience wades into the thick of this upheaval.

J. Michael Straczynski pens the script and the seasoned professional impresses from beginning to end.  We see the humanity of this messed up situation, as a boy wonder with abilities attempts to deal with his own mistakes in the wake of five years of failure.  It’s a hard balancing act for anyone, but when the author shines the spotlight on him he wastes no time letting the story go exactly where it needs to.  That’s what makes this release so good, it’s ability to just embrace and jump in to the sickness of society.

The art by Tom Mandrake is a consistent visual flare that’s sure to please anyone who dives into this fascinating piece of literature.  His pencil strokes evoke the right amount of emotion as his attention to detail builds up a familiar but nonetheless original interpretation of the superhero mythos.  My one complaint is that there are inconsistencies with facial structure that slightly hinder the progression of the comic book.

Sidekick #4 is the strongest entry thus far, as the creative team lets the various dominoes of Sol City fall before them.  Recommended.

4/5