Four Eyes #4

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by Max Fiumara

I didn't really expect to see another issue of this comic - I had forgotten it was resolicited and didn't order it; it has been more than a year since the last issue came out, and Kelly and Fiumara are both pretty involved in Amazing Spider-Man right now.

Four Eyes is the story of Enrico, a young boy whose dragon-catching father was killed in Depression-era New York, when he went hunting alone for the mobster who raises and fights dragons in an over-sized version of cockfighting.  Enrico has started working for the mobster too, and last issue was involved in his first hunt, which ended badly for him.

This issue is mostly concerned with various people looking to bring Enrico home, and his standing up for his values and new friend.  These first four issues were mostly set-up for a longer series which I now doubt is ever going to be completed, which is too bad, because there is a lot of potential in this series.

I like Fiumara's art a lot on this book.  It's very much like the style he's using in his Spider-Man issues now, and it's a cool mix of manga and cartoon influences.

Four Eyes #3

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by Max Fiumara

I've been enjoying the inventiveness of Kelly's Four Eyes. It's a story of a young boy whose father was killed trying to capture a dragon for an illegal dragon-fighting ring, operating during the Depression. Enrico has now gained employment with his father's boss, and in this issue, is used on his first hunt as bait.

The visuals in this book are just as inventive as the story, as Fiumara portrays not just the dragons, but the techniques and tools used in the hunt.

The cliffhanger ending hints at the eventual status quo for this book, as it begins to take shape as the type of comic I thought it was going to be - only better.

Four Eyes #2

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by Max Fiumara

It's been a while since this series started, but it's well worth the wait between issues. Four Eyes is the story of a young boy whose father was killed procuring a dragon for a mobster involved in the illegal dragon-fighting circuit of Depression-era New York. As things get worse for the boy and his mother, and as he discovers the truth about his father's former profession, young Enrico decides that he wants to be a part of the business, especially since it will let him watch dragons die.

Kelly is taking a slow approach to getting this series up and running, which is good, as the added time and details are really helping him to create the world he shows, and to add texture to it. Fiumara's art is incredible. It is nothing like the work he's done for Avatar and DC - it's more cartoony and rough, but also much more expressive and interesting.

This has the makings of a fantastic series, and I hope I don't have to wait another six months for the next issue to come out.

Four Eyes #1

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by Max Fiumara

This is an original premise. The story centres around a young boy living through the Depression. He has had his father die, has had to drop out of school to work, and has at times had to steal food. Kelly does an excellent job of conveying the desperation of people living through those times.

It looks from the set-up in this issue that the protagonist is going to have to seek work from the New York gangsters that employed his father.

Oh - and the gangsters hold illegal dragon fights the same way some people fight pit bulls.

This is a very well-drawn book, reminding me a little of Adam Pollina's work (but not everyone is 7 feet tall), and Kelly is taking his time with the build-up. I think this is an on-going series - not sure that there's enough for a long run, but I'm curious to see where he takes this concept.