Human Target #4

We don't get the clue Chance is looking for to lead him in a new direction until near the end of the comic, when a drunken Ted Kord points him in the direction of another member of the JLI. However, the comic is far from fruitless as Tom King and Greg Smallwood continue to balance the nostalgia and film noir themes perfectly. There's a reckoning coming, but the journey to get there continues to be a hell of a lot of fun. I don't want this comic to end. Read Full Review

Tom King's work for DC has been somewhat polarizing among comic fans. But some of his series are indisputably fantastic. Mister Miracle, Omega Men, and Rorschach will undoubtedly be recognized as classics. And so far, The Human Target is on course to being another classic story. Read Full Review

DC Comics'THE HUMAN TARGET #4is a celebration of days gone by. It's goofy, yet grounded. This creative team uses the tropes and language of the Silver Age to unleash all kinds of chaos onto the page, all while Chance watches with a wry smile and a stiff drink. Read Full Review

Smallwood delivers some incredible art throughout this issue. The highlight of the art is the brilliant way that Smallwood shows the developing closeness between Chance and Ice through subtle visual moments like fingers intertwining. A beautiful looking issue from start to finish. Read Full Review

Tom King has always experimented with other genres, but I don't think he's ever immersed himself in one like this series. This is essentially a hard-boiled noir thriller stuffed inside a story featuring some of the wackiest superheroes around. Read Full Review

Its too bad King remains so focused on Batman as hes showing in Human Target that he would deliver an amazing JLI book. Read Full Review

The Human Target might be the noir hit of the year. While not exactly an obscure character, The Human Target has never quite been the most popular either. But with the quality that this team has put out so far, it's doing much better than we could have expected. Tom King, Greg Smallwood and Clayton Cowles have managed to pull off something amazing with The Human Target and heres to hoping they continue hitting the mark. Read Full Review

Human Target #4 takes the subtle route by planting seeds of doubt and misdirection for a detective story that holds up. The art is stellar, and while this version of Ted Kord is wildly out of joint for his established character, the writing is excellently executed. The character assassination of Guy Gardner in the last issue still stings, but this issue makes up for it... a little.8.5/10 Read Full Review

A great development to the story that is hitting on all cylinders. Read Full Review

The mystery continues as another member of the JLI is being questioned, but they aren't the story's focus. Chrisotpher Chance is keeping an eye on his partner, Ice. It seems she has noticed, and she heats things up. Read Full Review

Greg Smallwood's art remains the highlight of the series, but the writing is back to being fun... at least for now. Read Full Review

Perhaps this will stick the landing and become legendary like Vision, or maybe it'll stumble along the way and become an ambitious but flawed experience like Omega Men. For now, this is an interesting trip, even though its title character doesn't really seem to be at the wheel. Read Full Review

Linkush

Jan 25, 2022

I really have nothing much to say besides that it's just brilliant. If you are still not reading this series then what the hell are you doing? read it.

nastyD

Jan 25, 2022

this story is … amazing

Comics instrucciones de uso

Jan 25, 2022

So great

allenquanobi

Jan 25, 2022

One of the best series out right now

Avanvolk

Jun 13, 2024

Man...I don't care what the haters say, I love Tom King's writing. This series is shaping up to be just as good as all of his other runs that I've loved so much. Also, Greg Smallwood's art and colours are just phenomenal. Such a vibe.

Ryan

Mar 21, 2025

“I asked Ted 1 question 18 hours ago and he hasnt stopped talking since”😂😂😂😂😂

Skywolf

Jan 25, 2022

All you need to do is follow the art and dialogue. So simple.

Mout

Jan 26, 2022

ice ice baby

Toonstrack

Feb 10, 2022

This is the first time I haven't given a ten on an issue, but thats a factor of how fantastic the other issues are, not how bad this one is. Because this one is so fantastic. It meanders a small bit. But its still got amazing dialogue and gorgeous art. Everything is impeccable here. Ted Kord is an enigma, and he knows he is. He has to be. Most billionaires are. But he saves people and his heart is in the right place. Mostly. This issue is mostly observational deduction from Chance, and most of it is directed at Ice. It all comes down to the brilliant ending. So yea. 9.5 for this. Just a little bit monotonous at the early parts. Still incredible. One of the Best series DC is putting out, easily.

Loafy Trophy

Jan 27, 2022

A delight of a book. The way Smallwood's art is intertwining with King's writing is sublime. Their depiction of Chance and Ice's relationship quietly developing while traversing the country in Blue Beetle's Bug was my favorite part of the issue. The subtle glances and little touches between the two were brimming with a wonderful sexual tension that Smallwood really delivers on by the end of the issue.

Hydro-Man

Jan 30, 2022

Everything about this book is exceptional. Even the damn colors. Hard to believe this same writer, this same week also put out the Batman/Catwoman Special…

DVE

Jan 31, 2022

That was sensual

Psycamorean

Jan 30, 2022

While I don't know if I liked how Blue Beetle was written, as it did come across as the laziest option, I did overall enjoy the issue. The beats hit well, and all the stuff with Ice was well done. Also, gotta say, if Tom King's goal was to be considered the "Best Female Character Writer," writing a woman who uses her looks to seduce men in order to gain control over them, which is how she's implied to be in this issue (and that could change, obviously), that is a bad way to go. It could so quickly, and so easily, fall into the stereotypical evil women tropes that have been present since Adam and Eve. I kind of don't think that theory holds weight.

Jawsh

Feb 08, 2022

Did not find this one to be as strong as some of the previous ones, but hell it was still so good. Mystery thickens, so many theories, the art continues to be soooooo gorgeous. Who would have thought that a HUMAN TARGET book would have been one of the best ones on the stands.

DDJamesB

Jan 27, 2022

It was well written, the art is amazing but, it was a little boring in a way. Just a lot of rambling by the Beetle.

Kalaoui

Aug 27, 2023

This one wasn't great as the previous ones and lost me on that last page but Smallwood's art is fantastic so we keep moving.

Merlyn

Jan 25, 2022

Is there an Eisner for writing the strongest female character or something like that? Because I would really like it if King won it. Dude is trying sooo hard and for so long to show he knows how to write female character and he always overpowers them to do that. Remember Catwoman beating up 3 Flashes like it was nothing? Remember Alanna Strange owning Adam Strange most of the time? Well, this is the same here, Ice is OP because King wants to be acknowledged he is the best female writer ever, so just give him a prize for it so he can cross that off his list. To his credit, he makes Ice intriguing but not because of the "oh look at her how strong she is" but through the seduction game she's playing. A lot of this comes from Smallwood's art th at truly shines here, I wouldn't have rated this so high if not for the man's art. It was better than that horrendous last issue but it's still pretty stale and repetitive, the art makes all the difference in the world. P.S.: Just re-reading this I realized King basically ignored Forever Evil where at the end Luthor actually lets Kord keep his company after wanting to overtake it, that was a huge step for him towards turning into an antihero at the end of the book. Kinda disrespectful to Johns. more

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Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

There's not an Eisner for "Strongest Female Character" but since you'd really like if he won it, you'll be happy to find out that Tom King has 2 Eisners for Best Writer and he also has a couple more for Best Limited Series. One of those was for Mister Miracle, which showcased Big Barda, a "strong female character" (ooooo scary), pretty heavily.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

I know and I truly don't give a shit about Eisners, they mean nothing to me. A lot of much worse writers than King won those awards. Mister Miracle was good but it's massively overrated. As any King book, it ended ambiguously, without a strong answer to all the questions put up until then. I'm sure a fanboy like you loved it, though.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

"You liked Mister Miracle" isn't the insult you think it is. And of course the ending went over your head, like everything else that requires reading comprehension above a 2nd grade level.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

"iT wEnT oVeR yOuR hEaD, yOu DoN't GeT iT, iT's A mAsTeRpIeCe" - any King fanboy when someone tells him he doesn't like something his idol wrote. Pathetic. You're worse than the religious types, you know. And I said I liked it, I guess you can't even read anymore because of your fanaticism, I just said it's massively overrated.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

Prove me wrong then. I'd love to see you explain why King & Gerads' Mister Miracle is "overrated", particularly it's ending. I'd bet a hell of a lot of money you understood that book about as well as you understood the end to last month's Human Target #3. "hOw CouLd LuiGi fLy?" LOL

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

Well if you "bet" I wouldn't get it, fuck off, then!

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

That's EXACTLY what I was expecting. Just once, seriously just one time, I would love to see you actually back up what you say here. Usually it's a full-blown goalpost move at best. If it's overrated then back that statement up. You must have reasons you believe that.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

How about a fucking NO? You know what you do? You come here, proceed to annoy me and then somehow, in your mind, you think it's up to me to accommodate you and "prove" to you stuff that I don't need to at all. It's like coming into someone's house, shitting on the carpet, throwing someone's TV out the window and then expecting that guy to throw you a beer and order you a pizza. I know, it's what your mentor here does, but he's as deluded as you. Maybe next time don't be a douche.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

You can't ever, EVER back up any of the literal shit that falls out of that asshole you call a mouth. It's honestly impressive how consistently, and factually, wrong you are always. We’ve had multiple interactions where I've asked you to prove you understand a topic or story that you're clearly mischaracterizing and you ALWAYS refuse. You trash nearly every book you read without ANY reason, throw around pathetic insults, and move goalposts at an Olympic level.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

Ok. Block. I told you to be nice, you doubled up on it. Never double down on being a douche.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

Fantastic. EXACTLY what you always do. Run away like the scared, angry little incel you are.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

Triple down on it. Come on, do it again. Be an asshole over and over and then expect me to give you the explanations you want. Because that's how the world works. You're an asshole to people and then they should be nice to you, right?

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

"You're an asshole to people and then they should be nice to you, right?" Considering the source of this quote is the largest source of unadulterated hate on this website, that might be the least self-aware question I've ever seen.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

Mhm. And I started with the hate here, right? And you dare to talk about "self-awareness", how shameless. Also, you seem to not get the difference between "hate" and "critique". Now get out of here before I change my mind and really block you.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

Bro, you walk around stroking a 24/7 hate boner for King, Tamaki, Taylor, Zdarsky, honestly the list is too long and I could name a dozen others. You didn't critique shit up in your review up above. You just ranted that Ice was "OP" (fuck is that phrase stupid) bc she took down a bear and some bank robbers with her metahuman powers. That's not criticism. That's just whining like a fucking baby.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

No, because she supposedly held back all that time. You don't even get what I'm talking about yet you keep coming here saying stupid shit. Don't you realize how dumb that makes you look? Again, walk out while you still can, I'm running out of patience with dumb fucks like you who come to insult me even though they don't even understand what I'm taking about. I won't be telling you again.

Loafy Trophy - Jan 27, 2022

The only one here saying stupid shit is you. That "criticism" is the most grasping at straws thing I've ever seen. Again, explain why her holding back is a problem. Ice is a metahuman you fucking dolt and there's plenty of character history showing that she's extremely powerful and she might need to hold back against something like regular old bank robbers.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

Yeah, ok, I kept giving this stupid moron chances after chances and every time he came back even more like a douche, enough of that.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

I'm sure he'll cry about it on his profile like a bitch because that's all he does and I'll unblock him eventually but he really needed a cooling break because he wouldn't stop and I gave him way more chances than he deserved.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

And yes, Ice is very powerful but she's not so powerful to look like an absolute force of nature in comparison to Booster, like King tried to sell it.

Merlyn - Jan 27, 2022

*in comparison to Blue Beetle, sorry.