REVIEW: ‘Static: Season One,’ Issue #4

Static: Season One #4 is written by Vita Ayala with layouts by ChrisChross and finishes/colors by Nikolas Draper-Ivey, and lettering by Andworld Design. It is published by DC Comics. “Naming Names” picks up after the events of the third issue, with Virgil Hawkins resolving to look into the matter of the missing Bang Babies. On his way, he encounters help from both his family and friends, along with resistance in the form of Hotstreak and the mysterious government agents who are hunting down Bang Babies.

The series so far has made a point to shine a light on Virgil’s bonds with his loved ones, and in my opinion, it’s definitely the right way to go. Ayala throws the gauntlet down early in their script, featuring a tense conversation between Virgil’s parents and a group of government agents led by Hotstreak. The agents push to see Virgil, spinning all manner of lies; Virgil’s parents are less than convinced and tell them to come back when they have a warrant (and they’re joined by the neighborhood filming the agents on their cell phones.) As Virgil’s mother, Jean, succinctly puts it, even though she and his father Robert don’t have superpowers, they’ll fight to protect Virgil with every breath in their body.

This sense of unity extends to Virgil’s friends Richie and Frieda, who are willing to back up Virgil when he invades a black site. Even his sister Sharon helps out, giving him the trademark black and yellow jacket he wears as Static. A large part of what I love about superheroes is the bonds they form with people in their life; those bonds are a reminder of what they fight to protect and are just as strong as any superpower. And I love that Ayala has put that front and center.

ChrisCross and Draper-Ivey continue to deliver an anime-inspired flourish to their artwork, especially during Static and Hotstreak’s rematch. Hotstreak unleashes a torrent of flame during the fight, which illuminates him in a pure white flash of light similar to My Hero Academia‘s Katsuki Bakugo. Static himself fires bluish-white energy from his hands and provides a contrast to his black and yellow uniform, though his caption boxes still remain blue with white lettering. Richie and Frieda’s all-black riot gear contains shoutouts to Milestone Media and the late Dwayne McDuffie and looks extremely stylish; fans of the Static Shock animated series will also appreciate Richie choosing the code name “Yellow Gear.” Most of the book also takes place during the nighttime, with a reddish-orange glow reminiscent of the opening sequence from Batman: The Animated Series.

Static: Season One #4 kicks off the back half of the limited series by emphasizing the strength of Static’s bond with his friends and family, along with a high-octane rematch with Hotstreak. With only two issues left in Season One, I can’t wait to see how it all ends and hopefully read Season Two whenever it drops.

Static: Season One #4 is available now wherever comics are sold.