Temporal #4 – The World Shifts

Savannah’s quest has unleashed a temporal shift. Now a second earth appears in the sky. Savannah is forced to rely on those she worked really hard to insulate from her venture back into temporal theft. It turns out the answer to solving her problem might just be closer than she thought.

CHECK OUT THE REVIEW FOR TEMPORAL #3!

Creative Team:

Writer: Stephanie Williams
Artist: Asiah Fulmore
Colorist: DJ Chavis
Letterer: Becca Carey
Cover Artist: Taurin Clarke
Published by Mad Cave Studios

Writing

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about Temporal and Stephanie Williams outstanding writing? The penultimate issue of Temporal is more of the same from Williams. Savannah continues to shine and Harper is a personal favorite of mine for this series so I was so happy to see him not only back, but to figure prominently into the story. Temporal has felt like Williams knew where she wanted to go from the word jump. Every word is carefully constructed to continue to build towards the ending in a way that gives readers little subplots along the way while building part of the bigger narrative.

Williams has always shined as a character first writer. Her characters are down to earth and relatable even in the unique circumstances of comic books. Temporal has shown that outside of being a great character writer, Williams is an amazing world builder. It’s rare to find a five issue run that shows a reader political intrigue, family dynamics, and a heist thriller all in the same run.

Art

Temporal has made me such a fan of Asiah Fulmore. Fulmore has absolutely killed this entire run and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the final issue. Readers would be hard pressed to pick up Temporal and find a more expressive artist in comics right now than Fulmore. Every character’s faces are drawn in a way that will have you scrunching up your own face as you read the panels unintentionally mirroring their expressions. The fight scene with Jamie and Savannah fending off Aion enforcers was crisp and clean.

Part of what makes Fulmore’s art so expressive are the coloring decisions by DJ Chavis. The previously mentioned fight scene is but one example of amazing coloring in this issue. Panels featuring Jamie and Savannah running through the city are colored to provide a perfect dark and gritty vibe that left me feeling like not only were they running from Aion but also the shadows.

Becca Carey and Taurin Clarke wrap up the art team with some excellent contributions. There’s so much more to the issue, but I keep coming back to the fight scene because from an art standpoint, everything about it is perfect. The lettering is no exception to that statement. Carey’s letters flow making the conversations easy to track as you move seemlessly between panels. Clarke’s covers continue to enhance the overall work of this comic creating a cover that jumps off the shelf at you beckoning you to take it home. The crisp art of Savannah fighting Aion combined with the slightly distorted background just makes for a great cover.

Final Thoughts

Overall Grade: 10/10

I’ve loved this entire run. Temporal has allowed Williams and Fulmore to build a beautiful world that is both expressive and futuristic. The worst part about Temporal #4 is that it means Temporal #5 is coming and this series is ending soon. Mad Cave Studios has struck gold with this entire creative team. While Temporal will be ending, I really hope that Mad Cave is in talks with this creative team of Williams, Fulmore, Chavis, Carey,and Clarke to bring something new to the market once it wraps. The team just makes sense. Williams writes characters well, and Fulmore knocks the art out of the park making you feel the emotion of the words.

That’s all for this review of Temporal #4. You can check out my other reviews by clicking HERE!

Until next time, may your pulls be magical and your multiverse remain stable

Are you sad to see Temporal winding down? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.