REVIEW: ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team,’ Issue #4

It’s here, the final issue of this wonderful series. And with it comes some excellent cyberpunk themes and wonderful artwork. Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team #4 is published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Miguel Valderrama, colors by Jason Wordie, and letters by Frank Cvetkovic.

In Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team #4, Nadia and Apex finally escape from the hostile tenant skyscraper filled with gang members out for Apex’s blood after he killed their leader. But just because they’ve finally reached the ground floor doesn’t mean that they’re out of harm’s way. When Apex does what he does best and takes matters into his own hands, Nadia is forced to relive her trauma and make a decision that will change her life forever.

Moving away from the flashbacks dominating the past issue, Nadia’s trauma transitions to the present. There is still a panel or two of Nadia’s conversation with her psyche evaluator, but her past is now bleeding into the present in the form of hallucinations of her late lover. The past issue was undeniably paramount in Nadia’s character development. Her past trauma has shaped Nadia, and despite her insistence that she’s alright and prepared for fieldwork, this issue shows just how not okay she is.

Apex continues to serve as an excellent juxtaposition for Nadia’s character. However, the hallucinations of Nadia’s lover also serve to characterize. Nadia’s lover tells her that she needs to put herself first because she had so much more life to live. Apex is also looking out for her in his own way, trying to make sure she still has a job after all this mayhem. But the fact that Nadia pushes away from both these sentiments is completely in character and makes the ambiguous ending that much more substantial.

Throughout this entire series, the use of the color red has been important. The violent panels are bathed in reds and, in this issue, so too are Nadia’s hallucinations. Wordie’s colors go further to reflect the tone of each and every panel with the use of deep shadows and highlights to draw the reader’s eyes.

Valderrama’s art, as always, is unique and effective. The building’s interior and exterior backgrounds and the dingy alleyways help hit home the cyberpunk themes revolving around the mix of lowlife with technology and the classism ruling these societies.

This issue is a jumble of action. How Valderrama handles these scenes lends to easy transitions from panel to panel. The characters are not only wonderfully emotive but diverse and unique with their hodgepodge of mechanical and organic parts.

Although we have few flashbacks in this issue, Cvetkovic still does an excellent job with the lettering. The speech bubbles remain simplistic and easy to read and never overshadow the characters or action.

Trauma Team #4 marks the end of this wonderful, short series. Even though the ending is ambiguous, it’s handled well, and, like past issues, this issue doesn’t fail to hit those cyberpunk themes.

Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team #4 is available wherever comics are sold.