Hornsby And Halo #4 Review

 

Storytellers: Peter J Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Cover Artists: Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz; Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson; Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 26, 2025

 

Heaven and Hell made a pact. They sacrificed their highborn children to end a terrible war. Hell sent Rose to live among the selfless Hornsbys. Heaven sent Zachary to live with the selfish Halo family. The Adjudicator chose their Human parents to ensure the children got a balanced view of good and evil. Perhaps one day, they will visit the Council Of Realms. Zachary and Rose can share how they learned to tolerate other views and make peace with their enemies. But first, they must survive their turbulent teen years.

 

Zachary and Rose’s powers manifest when they hit thirteen. Zachary shares his cupcake with his cat in an empty home. Rose’s parents throw her a party in the Hornsby Warwick Community Center. After falling asleep, the children fly to Mount Hope Cemetery to intercept grave robbers. But while Zachary returned home empty-handed, Rose captured the robbers' loot. Can the Highborn Infernal and Celestial survive the zombies that arose from the cemetery and want their valuables back? Let's leap into Hornsby And Halo #4 and find out!

 

Story

A Celestial posing as a postal worker gave Zachary a box. Inside was a quill and a tiny cloud. When the zombies chased the kids, she urged him to eat the cloud. Zachary sprouted a wing, prompting Rose to assume her demon shape. The kids may not be friends, but both realize this extraordinary experience unites them. This metamorphosis differs from their night at the cemetery when they shed their Human forms. Zachary evades the zombies by carrying Rose and his cat into the air. But he is new to flight and unsure of his abilities. The kids end up back in the snow, and the zombies resume their pursuit.

 

A Celestial influenced Zachary's changes. Yet, Infernal agents have also visited the kids' town. Factions from both sides want to end the peace and resume the War Of The Realms. As Zachary and Rose revise their perceptions of who they are, the Adjudicator watches over them in Hornsby And Halo #4. By day, he poses as their school bus driver. But he takes other forms and jobs in Warwick to keep watch over his charges.

 

Rose and Zachary have otherworldly powers. Yet, in Peter J Tomasi and Peter Snejbjerg’s story, they tackle the zombies using their skills and ingenuity. While her parents’ ethics have rubbed off on Rose, she angers easily and realizes her role in endangering her neighborhood. Zachary uses the skills his underhanded undertaker parents taught him to right wrongs and recognize his responsibility for the undead uprising.

 

Art

White fire burns one side of Zach’s face. Yellow and orange fire erupts on half of Rose’s. While Rose’s body assumes her demonic shape, Zachary remains in street clothes. Each has one glowing eye and one Human eye, while light fills the zombies' eyes. The inked and colored faces lend the zombies a kid-friendly appeal. Pepper, Zach's orange cat, also enchants with its antics. While wearing the pearl necklace, Pepper betrays no fear of falling from trees or risky maneuvers requiring split-second timing.

 

Zach’s white and orange coloring matches the night sky and falling snow. Ruth may struggle to walk on her clawed toes, but her orange and yellow coloring links her with Pepper. Ruth's pink jacket turns lavender amid darkness, and both colors echo the zombies' attire. Blues and greens also dominate the attractive coloring in Hornsby And Halo #4. After Peter Snejbjerg pairs Zachary, Rose, and Pepper’s flight with the Adjudicator and the Celestial’s, John Kalisz colors the Adjudicator’s power yellow and orange.

 

Rob Leigh places uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons. Letter size ranges from blessedly generous to accursedly small to signal inflection and volume. Enlarged and bold letters deform arrows and threaten balloon integrity. Sound effects link small actions between Zachary and the Adjudicator while enlivening impacts and honking horns. Yet the multiple squiggly arrows dropping from the zombies' balloons make the strongest statement about life and our relationship with each other in Hornsby And Halo #4. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While Rose and Zachary discover their Nature, the thirteen-year-olds rely on their Nurture to resolve a crisis and bring peace to the injured in Hornsby And Halo #4.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For two more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.