Escape #4 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist & Colorist: Daniel Acuña

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña & Ryan Sook

Production Artist: Erika Schnatz

Editor: Gabe Dinger

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

Like other members of his crew, Flynn argued to abort bombing the Titan Cannon. But Milton believed the strike would end the war. So, even though he couldn't destroy the superweapon without inflicting significant collateral damage, Milton dropped 'Ol Sockeye's bombs anyway. Milton has fled Narenian soldiers since he abandoned his ailing plane. How long can he remain at large? And how does Milton feel about his actions? Let's leap into Escape #4 and see!

 

Story

Exhausted, bleeding, and his knee giving him gyp, Milton broke into a shop and hid in the basement. He awakens in a bed. Across the room, a child sits and reads. Milton's first thought is to complete his mission. Perhaps, if Flynn has survived his injuries and the parachute landing, Milton can reunite with his friend. Maybe they can even destroy the Titan Cannon and find a way home. But as Milton searches for his satchel with the maps and explosives, he frightens the boy.

 

In Escape #4, the boy isn’t the only one frightened. Milton never wanted to go to war. But when Ruth became pregnant, Milton knew he had to safeguard his wife and unborn child. His longing for home and his missing friend played through his mind while he slept. Now, as Milton awakens, memories feel like reality, while his present resembles a nightmare.

 

Rick Remender continues the dialogue Milton began with Flynn and his late crew before he made his fateful decision. Only this time, Milton can't dismiss the enemy soldiers by turning magazine photos into caricatures. Instead, he comes face-to-face with Narenians. His enemy's arguments threaten to undermine Milton’s justification for going to war. And his forgiving spirit shakes Milton’s assurance of the rightness of his actions in Escape #4.

 

Art

A red, blue, and gold flag hangs from the porch of Milton’s home. Flynn awaits him amid the swooping elegance of his red convertible. As Milton hesitates on the front steps, Ruth stands behind him, adorned in a blue maternity dress. Her face and hair take on a reddish hue as Milton realizes what he is giving up. Lush greenery surrounds the homes with spacious yards as Flynn drives him off to war.

 

Compared with the suburban paradise he left behind, Daniel Acuña fills Milton’s present with darkness in Escape #4. He awakens in a room with cracked plaster, boarded-up windows, and laundry hanging across the room. Yellow-white light pierces the gray and green gloom. Paintings adorn the living room walls, while a metal bowl on the floor contains the red proof of its occupant’s ministrations. Brown wooden floors, a radio, and a grandfather clock link the make-do domesticity with Milton's fur. But a glance outside reveals a busy gray street, adorned with red accents, hints of blue, and purple-white flags.

 

Rus Wooton fills ivory dialogue balloons and beige narrative boxes with narrow black uppercase letters. Words grow bold for intonation, and arrows zigzag between speakers and balloons. Sound effects attend Narenian hospitality, while giant red punctuation marks in a gray balloon accompany Milton’s attempt to mend fences. Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When Milton takes refuge in a shop cellar, a family helps him recover. Milton is confused and unwilling to admit that his leaders duped him with rhetoric. But while Milton refuses to budge from his preconceptions, the Narenian who risks his life to help him echoes the views of Milton’s late crew in Escape #4.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For another cover option see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Escape #3 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist & Colorist: Daniel Acuña

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña & Greg Tocchini

Production Artist: Erika Schnatz

Editors: Gabe Diner & Iván Brandon

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 22, 2025

 

Milton never imagined going to war. Despite his rough childhood, he fulfilled his dream of buying a plane. But when Ruth and her father stumped for Walter Donovan in the same wheatfield where he ran his flight business, Milton offered her a ride. Years later, Milton is deep in Narenian territory. He lost his plane and his crew, and the bombs he dropped didn’t reach their target.

 

Milton knows he can't return home to Ruth. Still, he wants to safeguard his child's future and prevent the spread of fascism across the free world. Can Milton slip through the Narenian soldiers and reach his objective? Or did he sacrifice his crew and blacken his soul for nothing? Let’s put on our flight jackets, leap into Escape #3, and see!

 

Story

Milton prepped for this mission by defacing photos of Narenian soldiers. His best friend, Lieutenant Flynn, argued that most Narenian soldiers were like themselves: good people caught in a bad situation. But Milton sacrificed to be here because President Donovan described the Bats as an unstoppable force marching across their allies' homelands. Milton insisted no one could pressure him into something he didn't want to do. People who commit atrocities are monsters, full stop.

 

But when the Bats damaged his plane, Milton pressed on. And when Billy told him the Titan Cannon was in a heavily populated quarter, Milton dropped 'Ol Sockeye's bombs anyway. The bombs didn’t destroy the Narenian super weapon. But they leveled residential areas. In Escape #3, Milton slips through the ruined buildings and rubble-strewn streets. He tells himself that his opponents, even enlisted teens, are just animals. The Narenian soldiers are hungry for revenge. And they shout after him, "Child-killer!" But Milton doesn't understand their language.

 

Rick Remender's story is a desperate race through the night. It's pitch-black, with the buildings and street lamps under blackout conditions. Despite his promise to find Flynn, Milton's thoughts center on Ruth and their unborn child. Amid his desperate search for the Titan Cannon, Milton clings to the hope that his actions will protect his homeland.

 

In Escape #3, Milton inhabits a nightmare. He's done something he claimed he would never do if he were in the Narenians' shoes. But the soldier who once sought to find beauty in every moment can't focus on that. Instead, Milton focuses on killing everyone in his way until he can commit another act of violence that may secure peace.

 

Art

A Bat carrying a rifle appears in an opening in a wall. Instead of his captain's hat, a bloody bandage winds around Milton's head as he crouches behind the brickwork. While the Narenian's flashlight limits the Bat's vision, Milton sneaks up behind him. Out in the street, an officer’s head whirls when Milton and the soldier scuffle. Automatic gunfire illuminates a window in the darkened building.

 

Limited tones lend visibility to Daniel Acuña’s detailed penciling as Milton fights for his life. He scrambles and falls over piles of rubble. Bat ears poke through the helmets of Narenian soldiers clad in uniforms and capes. Officers wear long coats, carry larger rifles, and leave their heads uncovered. Blues, grays, and purples reveal characters amid the darkness, while guns blossom yellow, orange, and white. A trail of red alerts a guard, and later clouds the water, as Milton fights to reach his objective in Escape #3.

 

Rus Wooton fills ivory dialogue balloons with narrow black uppercase letters. Milton’s stream of consciousness appears in beige narrative boxes. As the Narenians’ dialogue appears within greater than and less than symbols, Milton discerns but one word amid the shouting. But when his enemy's utterances swell, turn crimson, and threaten to burst their balloons, Milton understands them perfectly. Sound effects accompany Milton’s desperate flight amid hand-to-hand fighting, and the volleys of bullets that are anything but 21-gun salutes. Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

A war film and newsreel footage of his president declaring war inspired Milton to join the military. But by then, he had already sacrificed the life he enjoyed for the woman he loved. Before he met Ruth, Milton was the king of the skies. Now, he’s a war criminal, hoping to toss his life away to achieve a military objective. Escape #3 is a fast-paced action thriller that reminds us of the power of rhetoric and the cost of war upon the Human soul. 

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For another cover option see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Escape #1 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist & Colorist: Daniel Acuña

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña, Michael WM Kaluta, Steve Epting & Tradd Moore

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 20, 2025

 

War is hell. At least, that's how Lieutenant Flynn sees it. All the narrow escapes and the people he has killed weigh on his soul. As they approach the target for his crew’s twenty-eighth mission together, the copilot wonders how much longer he can continue. But Captain Milton feels only disdain for the enemy. The Narenians started this war. He’s going to end it. Will the crew of Ol' Sockeye fulfill their mission? And what will victory or failure cost them? Let’s put on our flight jackets, leap into Escape #1, and see!

 

Story

Captain Milton has a routine. During each mission, Milton reminds himself of the enemy's cruelties and how bombing the Narenian targets avenges their victims. He paints the enemy with a thick brush, and the bristles cover everyone in their armed forces. But as the bombing crew embarks on their latest mission, Lieutenant Flynn gripes about Milton's mantra. He points out that the Narenian leadership is responsible for the deaths and atrocities. Draftees lack the luxury of selectively obeying orders.

 

In Escape #1, Flynn's boldness prompts a discussion. The crew knows that with every bomb they drop, people die. Of the soldiers, most are just patriots supporting their country’s leadership. Magoo, who occupies the greenhouse-style gun turret, reminds them that conditions are dire back home. Then, ground-to-air missiles curtail the discussion. Milton and his crew must set aside their moral musings and focus on achieving their objective.

 

While Escape #1 starts with a discussion, Rick Remender's story quickly escalates. But as the characters fight for their lives, the ethical considerations hang in the air. For Milton, the lines are clear. The Narenians’ atrocities make success imperative at any cost. Milton's crew knows they are bucking the odds by succeeding and surviving so many missions. Still, it’s important to them how they win the war.

 

Art

While Flynn pilots their craft, Milton applies a red pen to black and white photos in a glossy magazine. His markings emphasize the Narenians’ ears and eyes. Regardless of species, Milton gives them all incisors and slanted eyebrows. Flynn's dispassionate expression, long snout, upturned ears, and peaked hat link him with the Narenian bats. With the pipe clenched in his canines, Milton's ursine features are more expressive than his cigarette-smoking colleague's. But as Milton studies the photos of a cheering assembly, Daniel Acuña suggests how reverence for the flag amplifies patriotism.

 

Touches of yellow, orange, red, and blue enliven the gray military aircraft. Yellow, red, and blue nose art adorns the bomber, as does the fanciful name. Beige, gray, and orange form blotchy patterns in the blue sky like paint in a water tank. Then red splashes the sky and the bomber's interior in Escape #1. Blue and purple adorn Milton's face as he faces decisions that will define his future.

 

Rus Wooton fills ivory dialogue balloons with narrow black uppercase letters. Words in closely spaced rows grow bold for intonation, enlarge for increased volume, and rarely shrink. Larger colored letters herald gunfire, shearing metal, and explosions, while gray words written on bombs clarify the crew’s feelings about their enemies. Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When people attack you, it's easy to respond in kind. But in war, the choices become less clear, especially when your actions could prevent the death of millions. Escape #1 tackles the cost war takes on our souls, and how fighting for the people and causes we care about can turn us into the people we despise.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

X-Force #45 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Robert Gill

Colorist: GURU-eFX

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña; Whilce Portacio & Arif Prianto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 4, 2023

 

Domino’s raid on an exclusive Russian bathhouse netted her a mysterious ring. Is it linked to Mikhail Rasputin? Can it help Sage rebuild X-Force? Let’s leap into X-Force #45 and find out!

 

Story

The Chronicler writes the story of X-Force’s downfall. His mutant powers influence those he writes about. Mikhail used his brother Colossus to help Orchis destroy the thriving community of Krakoa. But the massacre left Orchis running the world, and Mikhail craves power. So Mikhail gives the Chronicler a new task. Find another character for your next story arc. Choose someone inside Orchis who can work for me!

 

Sage lost her team at the Hellfire Gala. Mikhail holds half her people prisoner. She must reform X-Force to free the mutant community from Orchis' shackles. The key to achieving her goals lies in the mysterious ring. She's secreted the strange artifact in a No-Place tumor. But who can help unlock its secrets?

 

In X-Force #45, Benjamin Percy weaves readers into two intertwined dramas. The Chronicler yearns to escape Mikhail’s domination. Sage wants to defeat Mikhail. But the clock is ticking, and a misstep could sweep either player off the gameboard.

 

 

 

 

Art

Robert Gill packs pages with detailed art that portrays characters consistently from panel to panel. Darkness surrounds Colossus amid the tragedy of his life while parchment leaps from tall stacks upon the Chronicler’s desk. Orchis agent Jun Wei tantalizes with a dragon tattoo that slithers across her skull, while Deadpool savors the good life in Las Vegas. Settings filled with life and energy invite readers to visit every locale featured in X-Force #45.

 

GURU-eFX loads his palette and doesn’t hold back. Panels set in Krakoa and Las Vegas explode with color. Darkness surrounds people in Mikhail’s world, yet nothing hides from the reader’s gaze. Gray seeps into a colorful, unlit corridor in Dr. Strange’s house while the fire crackling in his hearth casts the library in pink and orange. Glowing symbols hover before his eyes as he studies the mysterious ring, while tears trickle down the Chronicler's cheeks as he writes a character’s demise in X-Force #45.

 

Joe Caramagna writes the Chronicler’s narrative in white boxes and Deadpool’s dialogue in yellow balloons. He gives aging eyes a break from his tiny script with a fact sheet on Orchis agent Jun Wei and the Telepathic Notations of Dr. Strange. Giant, angry letters roar amid the darkness when someone withdraws a gun and pulls the trigger. Who shot J.R., you ask? Forget Dallas! Discover who shot who in X-Force #45!

 

Final Thoughts

While Sage and Domino seek the key to mutant liberation, a prisoner’s desperate bid for freedom could doom countless others in X-Force #45.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

X-Force #43 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Robert Gill

Colorist: GURU-eFX

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña; Rahzzah

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Everyone wants to attend the party, but will Sage let them? X-Force's leader doesn't have the last say, as she's taking orders from Colossus. But the metal man's mind is on other matters as the Hellfire Gala gets set to rock. How will Sage, Colossus, and their squad fare as the massacre of the millennium begins? Let's leap into X-Force #43 and find out!

 

Story

Colossus doesn’t want X-Force to join the party. As a representative of Krakoa’s Quiet Council, he orders them to monitor the gala remotely. What they don’t know is he's under the sway of his brother Mikhail. X-23 and Deadpool may be none the wiser, but Domino suspects Colossus is compromised. Can she discover his secrets before the festivities begin?

 

If you've read X-Men Hellfire Gala #1, you know about the party that rocked the mutant community to its core. X-Force #43 serves as a prequel and gives greater context to the event. While Deadpool and Quentin provide the laughs, Domino’s excursion exposes the change Colossus has undergone. Even if you know how the group’s journey ends, what Domino discovers in the Savage Land enthralls.

 

 

Art

Appealing characters inhabit this strange, organic world. Rooms and buildings look grown instead of made, rounded instead of rectangular, and more whimsical than real. Communities rise from the seafloor to stand above the ocean waves in X-Force #43. Plants decorate buildings and interiors. Bright colors mesmerize, energize, and prevent the epic tragedy from becoming dark and dreary. Inspired by such artistry, Deadpool and Colossus indulge their creative sides.

 

Lettering is tiny, as lowercase black words inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and boxes. A letter from Mikhail and an entry from Sage's logbook prove easier to read in X-Force #43. Few sound effects accompany the team's journey into darkness.

 

Final Thoughts

Sage struggles to control her team as Domino races to discover Colossus’ secrets in X-Force #43.

 

8.8/10

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