The Infinium #4
Publisher: Tango Unlimited
Writer: Richard Perez
Artist: Ron ONG
Cover: Ron ONG
“Chapter 4: Revelations” It’s been quite a while since the last issue of The Infinium, and if you count the time since The Infinium #1, that’s over two years from the present time. Yet, perhaps the long waits between might not be such a bad thing after all. Because with each issue, the team seems to make great strides in quality.
In case you’ve forgotten the plot, it’s kind of like intergalactic Mortal Kombat/Enter the Dragon. With perhaps a wink to the bronze age. Maybe it’s not heart breaking material, but Richard Perez knows enough about his material to make it entertaining and enjoyable from start to finish.
This time Perez doesn’t just take us to the intergalactic battle of the century, but rather seems to aspire to go beyond the usual material. Perez fleshes out Brian Villa further by adding in his wife and kid as motivation, as well as giving exposition about The Infinium without forcing it into the plot or making it a drag. Those elements are near the end of the comic book, but should they be developed right, it could pay off in spades later on.
The artwork also seems to have been pushed up a notch. Again, this is unabashedly an indie comic book. So those who hate silver/bronze age art and only like the glossy, super detailed work of modern Marvel/DC comics may not care for this. But others will be able to appreciate the artwork and its throwback to an earlier generation. Ron ONG adds further detail to where the difference between issue #1 and #4 is almost night and day. More gritty detail (thanks to Rage Ledbetter’s inks) and objects have been thrown into the artwork.
And while the coloring still relies heavily on computer graphics for better or worse, ONG has made the backgrounds more dynamic instead of the usual almost monocolor ones. Not to mention that he even adds some effects into the artwork such as blurring (while managing to incorporate it into the story).
If you’ve read the previous issues or even looked at #4’s cover, then you pretty much know whether you’ll like The Infinium #4 or not. This is a comic book that will be embraced by a small dedicated group of fans looking for a different and raw comic book; and not by a mainstream audience looking for something more polished. But for those of you interested in it, The Infinium provides a rare opportunity to see how a series can improve in a matter of issues. And whether it comes out in three months or 2014, The Infinium #5 will hopefully continue the trend.
A reviewer’s copy was provided by the publisher.
Andrew Hudson
ahudson@comicattack.net
@Hudsonian
I got the issue again via Amazon again which appears that they got a new format which better presents (visually) the issue than from previous format which was tough to read. If you have a Kindle HD this book looks really good. I still can’t find them here in Colorado at the local comic shops (cough Mile High) so I’m sticking to the digital for now. This last issue was a mind bend! These guys came up with a really deep and trippy story! That was a very cool way to provide an origin and explain a lot in the middle of the plot yet weave much more action throughout the book. Story is definitely taking more shape, art is noticeably improved and even the lettering has gotten even better. For a bunch of indie unknowns their taking their work quite seriously, I’m glad that they even included a letters page! The story is getting much more interesting and while I was on the fence with the second issue, the third and fourth have got me hooked. Shame they’re not out sooner or available in print by me, as I’d really like to have these comics.