Bishop War College #4 Review

 

Writer: J. Holtham

Artists: Sean Damien Hill; Victor Nava; Alberto Foche

Colorist: Espen Grundetjern

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez; Cory Smith & Rachelle Rosenberg

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 24, 2023

 

A freak accident hurled Bishop and Tempo to an alternate Earth where all the X-Men are black. Meanwhile, his students battle the Fenris twins and the anti-mutant Orchis organization in caverns on the mutant island of Krakoa. Can Bishop find Tempo and return home? Can his students repel the Agents Of Orchis? Let's grab our Multiverse passports, warp into Bishop War College #4, and find out!

 

Story

Bishop is a time traveler. He comes from a dystopian future he hopes to prevent by training the next generation of mutants. Instead, he's defending Tempo in New York City against mutant-hating superheroes with his new Black X-Men buddies on Earth 63. It's a savage fight, reminiscent of the climactic battle in X-Men: The Last Stand. Meanwhile, the young mutants try to rescue fellow students captured by the Fenris twins. Aiding them is a rock creature reminiscent of Groot called Wrongslide.

 

 

I enjoyed watching the kids working together to rescue their friends. Bishop's battle against Earth 63 Mutant-Haters like Iron Man and Moira MacTaggert reveals that his alternate-world self never used his powers in anger. There's also a question of whether the woman Bishop's defending is his friend or her nonmutant counterpart on Earth 63. Adding salsa to this spicy combo plate is Blightswill, an element that dampens and alters mutant powers.

 

Although I liked Bishop and the young mutants, the Fenris twins seemed lacking in depth. Lots of folks hate mutants in War College #4. The only question is why.

 

Art

While backgrounds sometimes suffer, the art team delivers consistent character portrayals and action sequences. The characters emote and move well. At no time did I wonder what I was looking at or ask: What did I miss? I liked seeing a flying attacker reflected in the glasses of Earth 63's Bishop. The digging machine beneath Krakoa reminded me of something the Tracy brothers would operate in Thunderbirds or the Iron Mole in At The Earth's Core. As a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, I loved Wrongslide’s scenes. Only when I wrote the credits for this review did I realize that penciler Sean Damien Hill and inker Victor Nava undertook the Earth 63 sequences, and artist Alberto Foche created our world's Krakoa scenes. Kudos to the editorial team for bringing together artists who pair together this effectively!

 

Espen Grundetjern’s colors are bold and vibrant in Bishop War College #4. They’re always pleasing to the eye. I found battle scenes—in which characters hurl their powers or fire their weapons—electrifying. 

 

While Travis Lanham's lowercase letters start small and shrink for lowered voices, his sound effects enhance every battle. I liked how he portrayed Killian Devo, Moira MacTaggert, and Feilong’s characters through messages on a mobile phone, even if the letters were tiny. One thing I love about the X-Men books is the introductory pages that immediately bring you up to speed on what's happening. Dr. Heather Tucker's one-page speech before the U.S. House Oversight Committee helped me understand what the Earth 63 version of Tempo cares about. But who is the woman Bishop meets in alternate New York City? Will the real Tempo please stand up?

 

Final Thoughts

Engaging characters and fraught battles on Earth 63 pair with a threat to the mutants of our world in Bishop War College #4. Everything hangs in the balance in this fast-paced yet substantial penultimate issue of the series.

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

Rating 8.5/10