There is nothing like a proper origin story, one that gets you to understand who the characters are before you know them. In comic books, oftentimes, readers get to know wo the character is before they become superheroes in the firs tissue. Though this method can be preferred amongst readers, this doesn’t quite capture the essence of the character. As you watch this seemingly normal person become someone quite extraordinary, it satisfies most fans, but not all.

The point of view narrative that some fans including myself like is the point of view narrative after you get into the story arc. As the reader gets invested into the story primarily and the characters secondary. This way the story stands on its own, which is why Black Panther’s “Dark Reign” and Justice League’s “Kingdom Come”, resonates with comic book fans, as both stories were that good that fans still talk about them to this day. In the fourth issue of The Accelerators, we get to know a whole lot more about Bertram and the time travel experiment.

We catch up with Bertram as he fights the Improved Samurai, a sophisticated fighting robot, which can anticipate their opponent’s next moves.  We also get to find out how Bertram and Lex, first got into the time travel experiment and how it was initially a mission for good purposes. We also catch up with Spatz as he gets a behind the scenes look on how the gladiator competition and why Bob wants him there. By book’s end, someone readers thought long dead is brought back, and nothing is what it seems.

Overall, an excellent installment that continues to push the boundaries of the time travel narrative. The story by RFI Porto is complex and engaging. The art by Gavin P Smith is captivating and vivid. Altogether, a great story that only gets better with this issue.

Story: RFI Porto Art: Gavin P Smith
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.8 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy