The Good
Lots of reveals in this issue. I hope you've been following along because this is the last issue of this first story. Archer & Armstrong head to Tibet in order to stop Archer's parents from activating the Boon, which is not exactly what it seems.
Issue 4 of ARCHER & ARMSTRONG reveals a lot about both characters. Without spoiling anything for you guys, we catch a big glimpse into who Archer is, why Armstrong is immortal, and why the Boon shouldn't be activated. It's some pretty mind-blowing stuff, and changes the way we view these character and the world. Also, if you've been wondering about the naked floating man with red hair, you get to find out who he is as well.
Writer Fred Van Lente does a great job at keeping this story flowing naturally at a great pace. It moves incredibly smoothly, and he does a great job at keeping the reader engaged, even when the story becomes a bit more dialogue heavy. Every piece of dialogue matters here. There's no throw-away lines just to fill the time. Fred Van Lente utilizes these bubbles to develop his characters and give the reader key plot points. This is by far the best part of the book.
Again, without spoiling anything, the last half of this book is amazing and incredibly epic. It's a fantastic scene the moves incredibly well and makes some huge changes in Archer & Armstrong's paths. It actually leads up to an extremely comedic moment. Sure, I had a problem with it, but what's funny is funny, whether I like it or not.
While artists Clayton Henry & Pere Perez, with Matt Milla on colors, do a great job on this issue, and they remain incredibly consistent through their work, the final page of this issue is phenomenal. Yes, it is a reveal page, so I won't get into too much detail, but the way it's laid out and paced is amazing. The snow effect on the final panel is by far my favorite part.
The Bad
Again, as you could probably tell, this is not a good jumping on point for new readers. You really need to pick up the first few issues, but trust me, you won't regret it.
Maybe I didn't notice it in past issues, but the humor portion of this issue seemed a bit too cartoony for me, especially towards the end. Again, I don't want to get into too much detail. I appreciate the humor, but it was a tad much in this issue.
The Verdict
ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG continues to be fantastic with issue 4. The book is a pretty big game changer for these two characters, and we get a ton of background info on both of them. This may not be the best place for new readers to jump on though. If you've been interested in picking up a Valiant book, all of which are incredibly good, this series would be my top pick for new readers. We're only four issues in, so you don't have to do too much backtracking. Overall, I highly recommend this issue.