The Last Owling #4 is a comic created by John A. Rhodes and Ray Marek III with linework by Joseph Hao Olesco and colors by Avery Ferdinand. The Owling gears up for the final showdown with the Cult of the Great Horned Owl. This is an issue that plays out like the last few scenes in a superhero movie with near equal parts talking and action. Our leading lady whose first name we still don’t know is the Owling, an owl-themed heroine with various gadgets at her disposal. She is sort of like a rookie Batman. Also present in this tale is Brazen, a woman who also prowls the streets at night. The plot begins with the Owling donning some new armor before embarking on her mission to stop the cult from performing their sacrifice. While she is on her way the Cult of the Great Horned Owl is going through the motions of their ceremony and they are making the most of it. The action here is mostly standard superhero fare but it does get gory. This story is a nice balance of calm and excitement with things moving at a steady pace. The dialogue reads like something you’d hear on classic cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series; there are even quips and commentary in the middle of combat. There aren’t any wordy pages here. This is an apt end to this entertaining and violent series that has introduced us to a heroine filled with determination and power-hungry villains that need to be stopped.

            The art style here is a bit cartoonish which adds to that TV show feel. There is a wide array of colors on display here with some nice shading. This story takes place at night on a rooftop so most of the scenery is skyscrapers and the star-filled night sky. The expression level here is high as these characters really wear their emotions on their sleeve. The faces are detailed enough that the looks we see can be felt. From anger and shock to pure joy, there is a good range here. There is some face sameness here of the “same features different colors” variety, but it shouldn’t distract from the story much. The mystical effects stand out on the page and look markedly different from everything else. The action scenes mostly consist of punches and kicks have a good flow. There are a couple bloody/gory moments. The Owling is wearing an armored outfit while most of the cult is wearing something formal with feathers added. A good chunk of this story features exposed breasts and there is a woman dressed in a revealing getup.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes, if you’re all caught up.

“Would I like this?”

If you like stories starring superheroines going up against mystical-themed enemies in a style reminiscent of 90’s superhero cartoons this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

R. Some gore.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“At least we can do one thing right tonight!”

 

Physical Link: https://hyperverse-109492.square.site/product/the-last-owling-4/193?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hyperversecomics/the-last-owling-issue-4-last-owl-standing/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 26

Violent Pages: 9, for 35% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 2, for 8% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 3

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 2 mostly, except for one moment where it jumps to 5

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 2

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 2

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”