Heroes For Hire #4 - Spoilers

[Expletive Deleted]

Heroes for Hire #4, out today, by Abnett, Lanning, and Atkins.

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Remember how last issue ended with Paladin and Iron Fist teaming up to figure out what's wrong with Misty? Well, this issue ignores them completely and give us a look at Misty's situation. The Puppet Master is manipulating her mind using technology from a mysterious benefactor, going through her cybernetics, and keeping her in a virtual reality dream state which he can manipulate and from which she can run Heroes for Hire. The bulk of this issue takes place in Misty's head, as she starts dealing with the psychological trauma of her phantom pregnancy and rebels against his control. At the end of the issue, she breaks free and smacks the crap out of the Puppet Master, but he has a mind-controlled ace up his sleeve: The Punisher.

It's a good issue. Resolves a few dangling plot threads, introduces a few new ones, and generally does a nice job dramatizing Misty's internal conflicts. Atkins' fill-in art is decent, and he does a nice job with the big fight scene between Misty and a bunch of heroes in the dream world.

Anyone else pick this up?

[Prince Of Orphans]

I'd like to see less Misty Knight and more of the other heroes. Although, she can be interesting Misty Knight is hardly a selling point.

[Handsome One]

Psh, I want more Misty. Ideally, this would be a Misty/Elektra team-up book.

Speaking of Misty, why is her hair straight in the front?! Has Puppet Master been hitting her with the relaxer?

[Mateus_ds]

i've been picking it up regularly since its relaunch and its been underwhelming to say the least since the Puppetmaster reveal.
I was hoping this issue would wrap up that fight and move onto something bigger and better but that doesn't seem to be the case and well...Punisher? really? I mean...REALLY?!?

[Handsome One]

i've been picking it up regularly since its relaunch and its been underwhelming to say the least since the Puppetmaster reveal.
I was hoping this issue would wrap up that fight and move onto something bigger and better but that doesn't seem to be the case and well...Punisher? really? I mean...REALLY?!?

Agreed. This is the definition of decompression. It's how all Marvel books start these days - they want at least 5 issues to fill the graphic novel, plus they all want everyone who's trying out the book to buy as much as possible to "finish the arc".

[Mateus_ds]

Agreed. This is the definition of decompression. It's how all Marvel books start these days - they want at least 5 issues to fill the graphic novel, plus they all want everyone who's trying out the book to buy as much as possible to "finish the arc".

i can't tell if that's sarcasm or not. but anyways, i doubt the finale for this arc will be anything i expected and that's actually a bad thing.

[Handsome One]

i can't tell if that's sarcasm or not. but anyways, i doubt the finale for this arc will be anything i expected and that's actually a bad thing.

I wasn't being sarcastic at all. I'm not sure why you'd think that.

[Iron Maiden]

I was a bit disappointed in this because it came off as a filler issue. After last month's Moon Knight/Velociraptor fight, I really missed seeing Brad Walker's work on this series. Too much rehashing of Misty and Danny's phantom child and I really didn't get the sense we learned anything new other than Phillip Masters is working for someone else.

[andybmcd]

I was a bit disappointed in this because it came off as a filler issue. After last month's Moon Knight/Velociraptor fight, I really missed seeing Brad Walker's work on this series. Too much rehashing of Misty and Danny's phantom child and I really didn't get the sense we learned anything new other than Phillip Masters is working for someone else.

Yep, same here. Loved the first three issues, this one was a bit of a drag.

[Cthulhudrew]

Hm. Mind control technology? Could a Controller appearance be in the near future?

[Expletive Deleted]

Agreed. This is the definition of decompression. It's how all Marvel books start these days - they want at least 5 issues to fill the graphic novel, plus they all want everyone who's trying out the book to buy as much as possible to "finish the arc".

This issue was a bit slower paced and more focused on character than plot and I can understand not enjoying it on that basis, but I don't see the series as particularly decompressed. I've never seen a decompressed comic that's started out with three done-in-one stories.

[Sean Walsh]

Heroes for Hire #4, out today, by Abnett, Lanning, and Atkins.

Atkins?

As in Robert Atkins?! (IDW's GI JOE artist)

Awesome!

[42n8s1]

i've been picking it up regularly since its relaunch and its been underwhelming to say the least since the Puppetmaster reveal.
I was hoping this issue would wrap up that fight and move onto something bigger and better but that doesn't seem to be the case and well...Punisher? really? I mean...REALLY?!?

Completely agree.
I found this issue unsatisfying.
I'm seriously considering not picking up Issue #5.

[42n8s1]

Agreed. This is the definition of decompression. It's how all Marvel books start these days - they want at least 5 issues to fill the graphic novel, plus they all want everyone who's trying out the book to buy as much as possible to "finish the arc".

Well said.

[Ari Gold]

Yeah, this issue felt like a filler and was pretty disappointing.

The scenes in Misty's head were supposed to have a certain effect (of her internal struggle & realization), but I didn't find them to be strong enough or necessary.

From a story-telling standpoint there's nothing to explain why Misty realized now that she was being manipulated.

I guess the "important" thing to take away is that Puppet Master is/was working for a mysterious benefactor who is actually funding and running the new Heroes for Hire.
The mystery being (although I guess it existed when all we knew was that PM was involved), assumedly this guy is a villain, is he simply trying to put other bad guys out of business so there's more for himself?

I recently purchased the lot of D&A's Resurrection Man series. This seems similar in many ways as the individual issues are 1-shot stories but you get leaked information of an over-arching conspiracy that drives the characters along as well.