Assassin’s Apprentice #4 Review
Writers: Robin Hobb & Jody Houser
Artist: Ryan Kelly
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Artist: Anna Steinbauer
Publisher: Dark Horse
Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 8, 2023
A man awakens a boy in the middle of the night. His face is
a map of wrinkles. He offers to teach him if the boy wishes to be a loyal
servant to the king. The boy agrees without knowing what the man will teach
him. What happens next? Let's delve into Assassin's Apprentice #4 and find out!
Story
Young Fitz lives in King Shrewd’s castle. He works for
Burrich, the stablemaster. Fitz wears the royal seal, but the bastard wields no
power. Old Chade offers to teach Fitz his trade. One proviso: Fitz must keep
their lessons secret. Fitz has learned to keep his thoughts and feelings to
himself. Chade expects the boy to question and make his own choices in life.
But Fitz doesn't like the idea of killing people, and his growing penchant for
questioning authority could get him into trouble.
Half of Robin Hobb's novel has passed in Assassin's
Apprentice #4. While Jody Houser packs more narrative and dialogue into this
issue than in her usual less-is-more scripts, I wish she had prefaced this
issue with all that's occurred up to this point. A new reader has to piece this
together on the fly and misses much, such as Fitz's journey to the castle and
his magical talent.
Art
Ryan Kelly's detailed drawing breathes Robin Hobb’s 1990 Fantasy
novel to life. We follow Fitz through a medieval castle filled with the royal
family and their servants. While the occasional close-up may obscure background
details, he lavishes backgrounds with wood and stone architecture and dresses
rooms with tools and furniture. Aristocrats dressed in their finery stand
before windows or canopy beds. Like Howl's Moving Castle, Chade's quarters need
a good cleaning. When Burrich mentions Fitz’s father, Ryan brings the
stablemaster’s thoughts to life within a stable filled with horses, hay, tools,
lanterns, and saddles. Because of his efforts, we believe that Fitz is a young
boy wishing to prove himself, who honors authority and values loyalty.
In Assassin’s Apprentice #4, Jordie Bellaire colors Ryan
Kelly's page borders a smoky gray and individual panel edges beige. Her subdued
color palette reminds us that light can be scarce in a castle or stable,
particularly at night. She paints people and rooms blue in low lighting and
adds purple for shading. Fires fill rooms with yellow and orange radiance (but
they don't talk to Fitz, unlike Howl's fire demon Calcifer). When a character
refers to someone not physically present, she employs a single color. There is
magic in this world. Although writer Jody Houser doesn't explain it, Jordie
shows it as intricate streaks of yellow. Thus, she enhances this comic's
classic Prince Valiant vibe.
Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou relays the narrative with
typewriter-style lettering on scraps of torn beige parchment. He presents
dialogue in easy-to-read uppercase lettering classic dialogue balloons. He may
not go as Old School to reveal thoughts as puffy clouds, but his pleasing font
grows bold to express intonation.
Final Thoughts
It's been ten-to-fifteen years since I read Robin Hobb’s
classic novel. Thanks to The Assassin’s Apprentice #4, I soon got a pleasant
sense of Déjà (Thoris) Vu. It also reminded me of Steven Brust’s novels about
Vlad Taltos, an assassin and crime lord who one day decides to change his life
for the better. While I’ve read all his Taltos books several times, I've never
returned to The Assassin's Apprentice or read Robin Hobb's eight follow-ups.
Perhaps that time has finally come.
With its emphasis on learning and character, The Assassin's
Apprentice #4 transports us to a Fantasy world populated by fully-rounded characters
who wield magic as readily as swords. Avoid those who would mock you or heap
scorn upon comic book adaptations. The wise reader will benefit from reading
this issue. I may not be an assassin, but that's my creed.
Rating: 9.2/10
To view the gorgeous preview art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch
