A review of The Order #4 By Neil Shyminsky (neil) November 18, 2007 Rating: 5.7 / 10

Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Barry Kitson

"Magdalena or Nine Doves"

There's something very Lost-ish, I think, about the frame narrative 'interviews' (Job interviews? Therapy sessions? I assume the former, but I'm not entirely sure.) that are probably the most distinctive and interesting feature of this comic. New books of this sort - written in total sincerity and full of characters we don't know - are a tough sell, and this quirk shoots straight for the heart every time in trying to compel us to like these people.

And while an interesting formal feature, it's probably not working quite as well for me as I would hope. Where the first issue's interview was able to integrate Henry Hellrung seamlessly into the Marvel Universe and critique Tony Stark at the same time, this latest one is a little too smug and even cliché. (The beautiful woman who can't have kids of her own and has dedicated her life to saving other children? And whose power is to create golems that she considers her 'children'? No, not too subtle at all...) But this is a problem, I imagine, any time that you need to distill the essence of an unknown character into a given type with only a few dozen little panels to spare. (Not that I totally buy this excuse, despite the fact that I created it - it doesn't explain, of course, why it worked so well in the first issue.)

I'm also ambivalent about Barry Kitson's art. He's ideal for the interview panels, where his raised eyebrows or smirks are perfectly expressive without ever being too explicit. But his entirely generic face designs are often confusing, making it difficult to tell one character from another, and there's very little dynamism to their movements: characters look to be posing when they should be fighting, and look statuesque when they should appear to be, well, moving. (Much like Jim Lee, whose figures always seem better suited to a poster than an action-scene. Some would find that a rather soft criticism, but I don't particularly like Jim Lee, so...)

As for the story? Zombie-hobos are attacking the Order and we don't know why. This thing isn't being driven by the plot, so it's all the more important that the rest of the parts are in good, working order. I'll admit that I'm interested to see where it's headed, but my confidence is waining. If it weren't written by the guy who gives us Casanova...

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