REVIEW: ‘The Weatherman Vol. 2,’ Issue #4

The forecast for The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 is sunny with a chance of genocide. The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 is published by Image Comics and written by Jody Leheup (Shirtless Bear Fighter), illustrated by Nathan Fox (Dogs of War) with colors by Moreno Dinisio, design by Tom Muller and lettering by Steve Wands.

The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 finds Nathan Bright’s ragtag escort of mercenaries and scientists on the brink of discovery. After arriving at the ruins of Syngen Station deep within the Arctic Circle, the crew of the Disco Queen is closer than ever to finding the lost memories of Ian Black.  But their search keeps getting interrupted by all the people trying to kill the weatherman. With the terrorist organization, ‘The Hand of God,’ in hot pursuit the crew of the Disco Queen finds themselves at odds with Skyborough, one of the last remnants of Earth’s population. Can Nathan Bright fill his head with Ian Black’s memories before someone cuts it off?  

It astounds me just how much of a balancing act Leheup and crew have to pull off to make The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 work. By all rights, Nathan’s goofball persona should have overstayed its welcome by now. You don’t typically find the unholy offspring of Buster Keaton and Howard Stern waltzing about most sci-fi epics. With the fate of billions on the line, the disconnect between Nathan’s buffoonery and The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 ‘s astronomical stakes is wide enough to sail an aircraft carrier through. 

But somehow, Leheup and Fox make it work. As with previous issues, The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4   is wonderfully paced, seamlessly blending madcap humor with character development and exposition. You can’t call any aspect of it boring, which may be the book’s secret. Every character besides Nathan seems to think they’re in a Ridley Scott space drama. But whenever Nathan takes center stage, the entire tone of the comic warps itself to fit his looney tune demeanor. And thanks to Leheup’s narrative deftness, each goofy outburst propels the story forward. I found myself grinning every time Nathan bumbled his way through disaster. As far as genre mashups are concerned, Slapstick sci-fi fits the bizarre world of The Weatherman just fine.

Of course, Nathan isn’t the only thing working in The Weatherman Vol. 2 # 4.  Last issue’s revelation that the flesh-eating virus that wiped out humanity is actually a body horror nightmare reverberates throughout the issue. With this new understanding comes a host of new problems. One of which is Skyborough,  the floating favela that houses one of the last bastions of humanity on Earth. Mars’ plan to raise Earth’s temperature high enough to kill the “Virus” would wipe them out. In most sci-fi stories they would clearly be the good guys. Yet, Leheup lays out all the terrible things they’ve done to survive. It’s another moral dilemma in a series full of gray areas and wonderfully introduces even more chaos into the comic.

The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 gleefully puts the fate of the world in the hands of a moron. Nathan Bright remains as goofy as ever as the Disco Queen reaches the end of its journey, maintaining The Weatherman Vol. 2 Issue #4 ‘s place as one of the funniest action series out there, keeping the issue firmly planted in the absurd. The stakes may be astronomical, the chance of death almost certain, but you got to chillax and enjoy the Weather.

The Weatherman Vol. 2 #4 is available now in comic book stores everywhere.