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The Nightwatcher keeps pulling the thread all the way up to the top. Next stop in Lao Ban, a crime boss in cahoots with the ugly side of the city government. When Nightwatcher presses a henchman with important information, a bounty hunter shows up with the intent to tie up some loose ends.
- Written by Juni Ba
- Art by Fero Peniche
- Colors by Luis Antonio Delgado
- Letters & Design by Nathan Widick
- Editor Dave Wielgosz
- Published by IDW Publishing
Nightwatcher Leans on the Real World for Inspiration
Nightwatcher issue 4 opens with speech from newly elected District Attorney Hieronymus Hale who’s language sounds awfully familiar to current political movements. He claims crime is rampant and criminals need to be walked out of their paradise. He promises a crackdown like no other on these “beasts”.
What is going on with the mutants in New York City?!
We move to Callum O Toole, a pidgeon mutant that works for Lao Ban, packing his things in a rush. Nightwatcher arrives in the shadows and tries to scare him into talking. When it seems like that’s getting nowhere, a bounty hunter in fancy armor shows up and a chase ensues. When Callum starts talking, it’s clear that the organized crime and corruption in this city start at the top of government ladder. It’s this information that the bounty hunter wants to void reaching someone dangerous. Nightwatcher will have surprises to fight at every turn to make it to Lao Ban, but that may be more than they bargain for.
Nightwatcher’s Job Just Got a Whole Lot Tougher
Juni Ba continues to weave a web of corruption and consequences in a city that feels like something out of our very own news cycle. Ba applies these real world issues to the mutant issues at hand in Nightwatcher with diligence, but it never feels heavy handed.
Where are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in all of this?
Using an informant with intimate knowledge of the scheme at hand allows Ba to pull back the curtains into the seedy organized crime ring that Nightwatcher has to take on. For Jennika, it’s an eye opening moment to see mutants working with the humans that want to keep them under their thumb. One such player in the game named Ysengrin proves as a match to Nightwatcher’s abilities and a perfect foil to their character.
The Art and Colors Work in Harmony in Nightwatcher
The artwork remains consistent with past issues. New York is dark and dirty but plays more of a background setting for the story than in past issues. This issue focuses more on establishing new characters and new designs. Hieronymus and Lao Ban make for intimidating presences in their panels. Ysengrin’s design is sleek and dangerous.
The colors in this issue take over as a focal point. The bright red hot highlights of Nightwatcher contrast to the sleek, cool blue highlights of Ysengrin. There are some fantastic moments where both are in the dark, but their glowing highlights shine through. It matches their differences in style: Nightwatcher’s brutality and rage vs Ysengrin’s precision and cold demeanor. That is also the same scheme used for lettering their dialogue as well.
Everything Points to 9.5/10
I think this is the best issue of the series so far. The depth of the world and the story begin to line up where this series arc is going. The big bad villains and their motives are becoming more clear. Nightwatcher is learning some hard lessons and ends up in a tight spot with a dangerous cliffhanger for the next issue. It may seem easy to deduce where Ba is going, but ultimately their are still plenty of threads he could pull on going forward.
