Review: Inhumans - Attilan Rising #4

Previously in Inhumans - Attilan Rising #3

While Triton, Mega-Rad, Naja, and Flint seek a safe place after The Quiet Room has been overtaken, the meat of this issue is not in the action they find, but the truth bars Black Bolt drops on Medusa.

He withstands Sterilon’s excruciating mental torture without giving up any information. When Medusa takes a crack at him with a gentler approach, Black Bolt has no problem explaining why the resistance exists: they refuse to be slaves. Of course, Medusa doesn’t see their existence that way, even when he points out that Inhumans are forced into special jobs after they’ve inhaled the terrigen mists - and they’re jailed if they refuse those jobs.

She counters that way is what’s best for everyone, doing their part, a cog in Doom’s machine because he knows best, yada yada yada. Black Bolt then hits her with what it’s really like in “the machine”: criminals are forced to fight to the death in Doom’s arena; in the Hydra Empire the racially impure are either discarded or forced to work in camps; the Warzone is engaged in a war that has gone on for so long they don’t even know why they’re fighting. In short: Battleworld is a hot-ass mess.

But if Medusa is shocked by why The Voice Unheard was formed, she’s rendered nearly speechless when he explains what their main objective is: to destroy New Attilan. Its tower broadcasts a signal which keeps the residents of Manhattan brainwashed, under Doom’s control. She doesn’t believe it, of course.

But showing is always better than telling, and Medusa witnesses just how little power she has when the Thors arrive to take Black Bolt, despite the fact that she’s not done questioning him and has no idea whether or not her own people are safe. They refuse to stand down so she’s forced to call in backup: Lockjaw.

Overall Thoughts: 

• It appears things are starting to crack around Battleworld - at least in the tie-ins I’m reading. Will Secret Wars end with open rebellion from different domains? Surely there are some domains that would like things to remain just the way they are.
• I don’t know much about Lockjaw, but it will be interesting to see if he’s any match for a half dozen Thors.
• And where the hell is Matt?
• Really great writing in this issue and the panel in which we get glimpses of the conditions of other domains was well done.
• Of course, a review of this series wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory gushing over the art. Every panel with Medusa was flawless, and the fleeing rebels’ encounter with the sea creature was stunning.