ONLY THE SAVAGE ARE LEFT #4:

Ryder must face the fact that he will need to accept the world as it is and make the hard choices if he wishes not only to stop from becoming a physical monster but also to save the ones he loves.

Creative Team: Zack Kaplan, Stefano Raffaele, Thiago Rocha, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and Vincenzo Riccardi.

The Story:

I think it is safe to say that Zack may be one of, if not the best in the business right now as far as character development goes when writing a story. Ryder has come such a long way in only four issues, and his transformation is more than just physical. We know who Ryder once was, but he’s beginning to act and not think; what makes him unique is that he is still holding onto his humanity. He and Fionn are up against the impossible as the virus is slowly taking over the both of them. Amongst the chaos and the uncertain it’s the backstory that Zack is delivering and showing the relationship that Ryder and Oaklynn had. We haven’t seen them interact in this new world much but, the building of who they were tells us so much and makes the current state so heartbreaking.

The Art:

Stefano and Thiago do some truly wonderful detailing in this issue, especially in terms of Ryder. I know I have been so focused on what is happening with his character, but truly, it is the journey that is driving this story. There are moments where the duo show the virus slowly spreading, whether it’s one of his eyes being mutated or how his face is beginning to turn a yellow shade around half of it. The artwork makes us feel the weight of the stakes and brings about anxiety-inducing moments. Hassan’s lettering work crafts the narration matching the height of this situation building up tense moments throughout this issue.

Final Thoughts:

Only the Savage Are Left #4 is winding the string of tension in an ever more creative manner. The artwork is building up the audience’s anxiety, showing our characters’ physical transformations while Zack crafts tense situations all around.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Zack will both be at NYCC as well as The Nerd Initiative crew! So if you see us say hello! Let us know how you feel about this issue and check out more reviews by Matt!