After Death of the Silver Surfer #3 turned up the cosmic heat, Galactus’s blood was stolen, the Fantastic Four were fighting for their lives, and dark moral lines were tested, it’s clear things can’t just escalate safely. In #4, the fallout of that theft ripples outward: Silver Surfer is still captured, while Kelly, caught between her duty and her conscience, edges ever closer to choosing sides. She hates aliens, but even she can see her greedy boss is no good with even worse intentions. Things are coming to a head in this penultimate issue of one of the best Marvel cosmic stories of the year.
Greg Pak retains both the grandeur of Marvel cosmic lore and the razor-sharp focus on individual character stakes in this issue, drawing from some of his past favorites to bring the cosmic heat this issue. The threat has become intimate, not just universal, as Kelly’s mother could be collateral damage.
The issue opens with Kelly’s mom, who lives at the Bureau of Alien Neutralization headquarters. A lot of activity has spiked her interest, but Kelly can’t be reached. Meanwhile, Kelly is aware that the blood of Galactus is headed to Earth, and her mother could be in the crosshairs. Her boss Harmon cares little for any repercussions of the Pandora’s box he unleashed, while the Silver Surfer speaks to Kelly telepathically to do the right thing. Pak has put Kelly in a position to decide if her bigotry and duty matter more than innocent lives.
This dude is a jerk!
Credit: Marvel
Meanwhile, Sumit Kumar’s art deepens in horror-tinged visuals as the Fantastic Four are trapped by the forces sprouting from Galactus’ blood. The creatures are drawn as if they’re translucent, hovering around Invisible Woman’s protective bubble in space. There must be a mandate to draw Mr. Fantastic weirdly these days, as Kumar makes his stretched-out arms look extra creepy as the beasts gnaw at them at one point. There’s a lot of detail in Kumar’s lines, especially when Korg and others enter the fray to save the FF.
The issue builds towards a cataclysmic fight to save lives, one that comes at a great cost. A couple of things jumped out at me as head-scratchers, like Silver Surfer sending Kelly a gift of sorts. I’m not exactly sure what happens to Kelly, but I’ll be there ready to read the final issue. There isn’t enough time to explain it, likely why it reads this way, but it’ll likely be a factor in the next issue. Another is the “Old Power” Korg mentions, which is a thing I had forgotten about. Cosmic super fans will likely remember, but it’s a detail that seems out of nowhere as it’s presented here.
Death of the Silver Surfer #4 promises to be one of those rare issues that feels big and personal all at once. As a penultimate issue, it lands with cosmic grandeur and emotional heft, merging Greg Pak’s thoughtful character work with Sumit Kumar’s eerie, detailed art. While a few moments stumble in clarity, the mix of intimate choices and cataclysmic stakes keeps the story among Marvel’s strongest cosmic sagas of the year, setting the stage for a finale that promises both spectacle and heartbreak.
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