If you’ve been waiting to take a chance on Limbo, then just dive in. I know that with new series some readers have this waiting period before they’ll take a chance on it. It’s like a TV show on Fox, you have to see if it makes it to six before you start watching because god forbid you get into a little show called Drive only to have it shit-canned on the second episode. You don’t need to worry here. This story is solid and the creators know what they’re doing. I don’t have any fear that Limbo will putter out any time soon. I did however struggle with this review. Really I struggled with the notion that a review of the fourth issue wouldn’t really sway anyone and that this issue in large showed me everything that I wrote about in the above paragraph. Really the only reason to write the review was to keep coverage going for it since it’s a book that’s worth reading. Though it gets tiring reviewing a book that you just want to enjoy. That said, I don’t know if I’ll consistently review the series, but I will read it.
After my gripe with the third issue about it focusing too much on Sandy, the fourth issue goes right back into Clay’s story. We learn a lot. The opening was amazing. I loved it. I loved the narration and I began to see what the story was about, even if our main character wasn’t quite sure they got it. Bridgette is revealed more and while we don’t know everything, she’s not nearly as big of an enigma as before. I’m not telling you anything about the issue per say, but if you read it all of this will click. If you don’t, then I don’t know what summing it up would have done for you anyway.
In thinking about it, all of my gripes with the third issue are rectified in this issue. The coloring doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. The layouts are interesting and the trippy video and music scenes were frankly captivating. The swamp scenes were creepy as shit and had a wonderfully different vibe than the rest of the comic and really the world.
Jim Campbell’s lettering is the shit. I know that lettering is just whatever to most people and that even reviewers struggle to find something to say about it, but Campbell’s stands out because of the overall color palette of the series. It looks good and fits the design of the series. You might notice, but frankly it’s one of those jobs that when done right, you won’t notice it… because it’s done right.
Issues like this make you wonder why people aren’t reading this series. I get it. There’s so much out there and if we’re honest, reading comics is an expensive habit. So put down that book you’ve followed fifty plus issues and through two relaunches and try something else. Try a world and a story that’s fresh and different and stop wondering if hero "A" can stop villain "A" and "B" and still balance their made-up life that’s void of change and consequences. Comics are expensive. So instead of complaining about that, buy better comics. It makes that dent in the pocket-book not hurt so much when you get your money’s worth and you stop following comic characters, but rather series and stories worth reading.
Score: 4/5
Limbo #4 Writer: Dan Watters Artist: Caspar Wijngaard Letterer: Jim Campbell Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 2/10/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital