G-Men United #4 - G-Man Comics

G-MEN UNITED No. 4, May 2024

Definitely providing this anthology comic with a strong opening is Rik Offenberger’s insight into just how well liked a super-hero can actually be by their fellow team-mates, when even Meredith Fremont’s foster parents never dared tell her “no” for fear of the emotionally volatile crime-fighter accidentally killing them! Indeed, despite much of this eight-pager demonstrating just how deadly Atomik Bombshell’s powers can be, especially when facing three highly impotent members of the eco-terrorist group Cilantro, the real story is how difficult the likes of Lynx finds it working alongside someone who can generate, manipulate and absorb deadly radioactive energy without a moment's thought.

Much more stately and majestic is Eric N. Bennett’s “Tales Of Otherworld”, which proves to be a predominantly dialogue-driven visit to the High Court of the Gods of Avalorr. Full of all the ritualistic pomp and ceremony a reader might expect from such a medieval-flavoured gathering, this particular yarn ends on a cracking cliff-hanger as King Nuada Silverhand’s guards are suddenly assailed by an army of flaming Fire Trolls just as the royal household’s formalities are finishing; “To Arms! Avalorr is under siege! Aenyr has returned -- And the walls of the city burn!”

Surprisingly serious for a storyline pencilled by cartoonist Joshua 1:9 Holley, “Adoption” does a good job of mixing up the tongue-in-cheek antics of Pollita and Kid Terror as they struggle to behave whilst on Agent Squires’ watch, with the judiciary drama of Vencejo attempting “to adopt an eight-year-old girl who isn’t a relative.” Well-penned by Offenberger, this light-hearted look at a serious subject matter also shows just how deviously demanding and disconcertingly manipulative the FBI Director, Peter Jameson can actually be too.

Lastly this book contains a good old-fashioned punch-up involving Taranis and the Norse God of War, Tyr. Unlocked as a mini-comic bonus during the publication's successful Kickstarter in February 2024, this no-nonsense adventure is written/drawn by Lee Gaston, and initially pits the two deities against one another, before pairing them together when a giant-sized Jötunn decides to invade Midgard. Filled full of jaw-wrenching fists straight to the head, and an impressive team effort against a colossal-sized foe, most bibliophiles will surely enjoy just sitting back so as to let this formidable bout of fisticuffs take them on an entertaining ride.

The regular cover art to "G-MEN UNITED" #4 by Ron Williams