Excommunicated #4 – Sinners and Saints

In Excommunicated #4, Josephine is finally ready to take the fight straight to the heart of corruption. As she learns more about her abilities, Josephine’s power grows until she begins to wonder if she’s something more than she ever thought. Now with her powers growing, she’s got the Bishop in her sights, but what awaits her when she’s ready to challenge the long-standing agreements over who controls what in our world?

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Chris and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Jeremy Robinson
Artist: Tiago Palma
Color Artist: Manuel J. Rodriguez
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Cover Artist: Flaviano Armentero

Writing

Chris: Issue 4 of the incredibly inventive and exciting Vault Comics series Excommunicated had the tall task of wrapping up a robust and briliant four issue run. Fortunately for readers, what has been an exceptional run ends on an absolutely phenomenal note, wrapping up each plot point while still leaving the door open for a potential continuation. The only criticism many might cite would run in lockstep with my own: I’m truly sad that the Excommunicated is drawing to a close…for now.

The world that Jeremy Robinson has been able to build in just 4 issues is nothing short of literary brilliance. The story as a whole has been complete with issue 4 book ending the incredible run with a brutal gory take down with a dash of closure. The writing is thorough and well read, keeping the strands of the previous issues together and well woven together. At no point was I ever confused or questioning any of the character decisions. In the many years that I have read comics, Excommunicated is the perfect example of comics as literature and social commentary.

Shawn: Jeremy Robinson throws down another slam dunk finale. On the heels of a highly satisfying run with Nectar, Robinson crafts what may be an even more unforgettable ending in Excommunicated #4. I loved the way that Josephine’s story developed over the course of these four issues. It truly felt like a give-and-take story where, in each issue, Robinson gave a few answers while asking a few more questions. The result was a story that was explosive from beginning to end and provided a satisfying ending while leaving room for more.

Robinson has shown such an amazing ability in the horror genre of comics that it should be no surprise that Excommunicated #4 was so well crafted. The best aspect of issue #4 is the way that Robinson tells a satisfying conclusion while working hand in hand with Tiago Palma and Manuel J. Rodriguez. Robinson’s vision for the script included chances for the written words to scale back and be minimal, letting the visual art tell the story. Other pages are more narrative-heavy while still featuring stunning art. The result is a well-written story that ultimately leads you wanting to see more from the Excommunicated universe.

Art

Chris: What first drew me to this series was the art. It’s gritty and dark, violent yet beautiful. The raw way in which Tiago Palma and Manuel J. Rodriguez approached this comic spoke to me on an ethereal level. The art didn’t feel gritty to be gritty, but to drag the reader into the truly dark pits of hell splattered across the pages. Palma is one the truly great artists in the industry right now, blending grit with a unique artistic tone with hints of the great Darwyn Cooke.

Letterer Jim Campbell’s use of color, light and dark, to differentiate between the speakers was clever. The jaggedness of the lettering for the demons was a very nice touch that was effective in setting the tone. Words flowed across the page fluidly. They accented the story, the art, and the effort and love that were clearly put into this book and the series as a whole.

Shawn: Tiago Palma, Manuel J. Rodriguez, and Jim Campbell went out with a bang, crafting the most visually stunning issue of Excommunicated yet. Tiago Palma saved his best for last, capping off the run in Excommunicated #4 with what may be the most visually stunning work he has produced in the comic medium yet. The line work and detail that go into the creatures and demons encountered in issue #4 are just absolutely stunning. Josephine’s facial features are so expressive that even without Robinson’s great narrative, you would be able to suss out her emotions. The big reveal of Josephine’s full raw power results in a full page panel from Palma that Vault Comics should be rushing to stores in poster form.

Manuel J. Rodriguez does a superb job on colors in this issue, balancing the dark colors of the demon-infested world with the bright pops of color from Josephine. Rodriguez captures the story well, bringing brighter hues to settings like bars while also still keeping the tones muted to maintain the gritty feel of this series. The full page panel I mentioned above from Palma works as well as it does because of Rodriguez’s colors. It would still be a beautiful piece even if it was black and white, but Rodriguez’s colors make it poster worthy. Jim Campbell does a great job helping the story flow really well. He showed a masterful touch with text box shaping as well as bolding choices in his work to communicate importance and emphasis.

Final Thoughts

Chris: 10/10 – Excommunicated #4 was the perfect capstone to a practically flawless run of books. The issue tied up all of the loose ends while leaving just a crumb of hope that there might be more from Sister Josephine in the future. If that hope is rewarded, I will for sure pick up the next issue.

Shawn: 10/10 – Excommunicated #4 saved the best for last. It was a perfect issue. The story was phenomenal, and the visual art team put out the best work I have seen from each individual contributor in their career. The only problem with Excommunicated is that it’s ending. Here’s hoping we get an announcement of an expanded Excommunicated universe.

Overall Grade: 10 / 10

How did you like the end of Excommunicated? Are you hoping for spin-offs? Let us know in the comments