Review – Sparta U.S.A. #4
Sparta U.S.A. has been the fantastic series that came out of nowhere. I’ve been waiting for a crack in it’s excellence and the fourth issue seems to deliver that, though only so slightly.
Sparta U.S.A. #4, written by David Lapham and art by Johnny Timmons, is a mix of politics, philosophy and football and the fourth issue shifts it’s focus from Godfrey McLaine to football star Johnny Franks. And most of the issue seems to rush numerous plot points in an effort to move the story along. In a six issue series there’s a lot to move in and I can’t help but think it might of helped to expand it a few issues to allow better pacing for some of the crucial events that occur here.
I’m still not quite sure what to expect in the final two issues, but I’m hooked. This is a very unique series and I can’t wait to see where it ends up. I’ve enjoyed what’s come so far, let’s see if it scores a touchdown in the end.
Plot: As I said above the series is pretty dense and the pacing so far has been excellent, up to this issue. There’s just so many plot developments and little time given to some of them, that the issue comes off as choppy. But, it’s a key issue moving those plots forward. Overall, I imagine that read as a trade paperback this issue will make a lot more sense, but in of itself, it’s a bit hard to make sense of everything. Rating: 7
Art: Timmons’ art is still solid and fitting of the various different plot’s needs. It’s consistent and hasn’t wavered one way or another for all four issues. Rating: 8
Overall Rating: Definitely the weakest issue of the series but a vital one. There’s only two more issues to go and where I thought it was going is definitely not what reality is. I’m on the edge of my seat in anticipation to see the end game. Overall rating: 7.5
Recommendation: Read
Page count: 22 pages of story Price: $2.99 Release: Wednesday 6/3/2010
DC and Wildstorm provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.
