Reviewer: Mathan “Moment of Silence” Erhardt
Story Title: That’s What Friends Are 4″
Written by: David Tischman
Penciled and Inked by: Timothy Green II
Lettered by: Pat Brosseau
Colored by: Avalon Studios
Editor: Joan Hilty
Publisher: DC Focus/DC Comics
So four friends from high school, Pete, Trent, Mikey, and Ford, found a suit of battle armor, they divided it up into four parts and watched as it changed their lives.
This issue opens with Trent and Pete reminiscing about old times as they look at an old yearbook. Pete has finally decided to move on with his life, and move out of his mother’s house. Trent is there because they have a plan to help fix their situations.
Later Trent stops by Mikey’s place. Before Mike opens the door he hides his part of the armor, the power gauntlets. When he opens the door for Trent, Mike is greeted with the beating of his life. Trent only wants the gauntlets, but Mike thinks that this is payback for Mike trying to hit on Trent’s estranged wife. Trent gets the gauntlets and leaves.
Later still Rebecca Parkes, a detective assigned to investigate several disturbances involving the suit, finds out that an armored man is terrorizing a mall. She goes to investigate.
Trent’s wife finds him at their house, which was demolished last issue. Pete has put the suit together to serve as an alibi for Ford, who has been charged with crimes connected to the suid. If someone in the suit is terrorizing a mall, then Ford, who is in police custody, can’t be guilty of the crime.
Trent decides to tell his wife the entire story, and Mike gets killed in retaliation for a murder he commited. Trent, Pete, and Ford then dig up his coffin (which is empty because there wasn’t much a body left.) They bury the armor in the coffin and try to get their lives back in order.
Tischman managed to wrap up most of the loose storylines from the series. It was still cut tragically short. Of course a book that ends after just six issues is going to have an ending that feels forced. That said it does have a nice sense of closure.
Green’s art has continued to grow. This is his best-looking issue to date. Every line is in it’s place and everything looks crisp and sharp. I’m looking forward to his future work on Swamp Thing. The colors are very “real world” looking. Nothing is too fantastic. I’m going to miss this book, which has had such a consistent look to it.
