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A Tetza with power beyond anything they’ve seen before is destroying everything in its path. Anita and Dawnrunner are no match for it. All hope seems lost, and the fun and games are all but over. Is this it? Is this the end of humanity? Anita and Ichiro will have to find away to get the Dawnrunner on its feet again. The stakes have never been higher.
- Written by Ram V
- Art by Evan Cagle
- Colors by Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli
- Letters by Aditya Bidikar
- Published by Dark Horse Comics
Dawnrunner So Far
When I reviewed issue 1 of Dawnrunner a while back I said it had those “comic book of the year” vibes. I am happy to inform you that all of that hype still stands. Issue 4 of Dawnrunner takes this whole story to the next level in the best way possible! The Prime is a Tetza that has arrives and is wiping EVERYTHING off the board.
This whole thing has been a game up until now. A Tetza arrives, an Iron King is dispatched to battle with it gladiator style while everyone watches and cheers on TV. The Iron King pilots even have win/loss records and it’s become a national sport. The Prime has changed that. It’s back to square one when these things arrived and started destroying the world.
Anita and Ichiro Become Dawnrunner
Anita is piloting the Dawnrunner, the most advanced Iron King, and she can’t even come close to scratching The Prime. As she takes a fatal blow to the chest of her mech, she falls deeper into the mind of Ichiro, a man whose consciousness in programmed into the Iron King. She follows his journey to take his kids to safety, seeing a “day in the life” of Ichiro before the Tetza arrived. As rescue crews arrive to remove Anita from her piloting pod, she has a heartbreaking moment with Ichiro, both realizing that they would do anything to save their children, triggering an epic moment of synergy between their consciousness and their physical shells.
The Many Inspirations of Dawnrunner
Ram V and Evan Cagle are just casually creating the next great science fiction story. So many influences surface in this story, while not becoming just a parody or imitation of any of them. The shell of the story takes the form of Pacific Rim and Neon Genesis Evangelion as alien Kaiju appear to cause death and destruction. It’s a Mech pilot merging with the mind of another that acts as the guardian against these unnatural forces of nature. But that’s where the similarities stop.
Character Development in Dawnrunner
Anita has been on a up and down journey as a celebrity, an athlete, and most importantly a mother. Everyone around her wants something from her, but also seem to form a caring bond with her as well. With everything she has, she still can’t save her daughter from slowly dying because of a virus caused by the Tetza. Ram V explores that thread in this issue in a beautiful way. He ties it to Ichiro, a man who has been dead for hundreds of years, yet is still experiencing memories of his children and the Tetza invasion in his consciousness, which is trapped in the programming of Dawnrunner. To see those two interact and face painful truths is powerful.
Beautifully Horrific Artwork
What Evan Cagle does with all of this is nothing short of epic. The Prime Tetza reminds me so much of an Angel from Evangelion. It’s the first Tetza to look almost humanoid and it’s skill set makes it’s defenses almost impenetrable. It’s so intimidating and large in scale. A great design that I think will stand the test of time.
The artwork in this issue stands out when Anita and Ichiro begin to merge in hopes of making Dawnrunner operational again. Cagle’s detail work highlights body horror in a beautifully terrifying way. Theres a full page spread of Anita going from fetal position to standing that is worthy of canvas. As the tubes and wires inside of Dawnrunner become more ingrained in Anitas body, it becomes almost uncomfortable to look at. She’s deteriorating like a corpse at a aggressive pace until her pod is nothing but a soup. When the Iron King stands up and is a combination of machine a flesh…you have to see it for yourself.
Everything Point to 9.5/10
This issue was a page turner. I was taken back by images, consumed by the characters emotions, and intrigued by what was going to happen next. I’ve been loving this series as a whole, and I believe this is the best issue so far. Anita has been a fascinating character to see evolve and the Tetza showcase an amazing, unique beast every issue. This one is huge for the sci-fi and anime/manga fans. I don’t think it should be missed!
