In Review: Stranger Things: Into the Fire #4

Synopsis: An escaped subject from Hawkins Laboratory discovers her twin sister has just burned down the mental hospital that held her captive and is on the loose.

The Story

Jamie, the subject from Hawkins Laboratory has escaped and burned down the lab in her wake. Her brother and sister Ricky and Marcy have finally caught up to their troubled sister, but can Marcy reconnect with Jamie and get her sister back? Are the bonds of family strong enough?

The Artwork

The art team of Ryan Kelly, Le Beau L. Underwood, and Triona Farrell really go to town in this final issue. I really loved the fairytale imagery of Jamie’s escape to the woods and how Marcy appeared to her in several mirrors, which had seen Jamie sort of having to question what was real and what was fantasy brought on through the drugs she has been given. The imagery used throughout the sequence in which Marcy was trying to connect with her sister was fantastic. The branch dropping to the ground and the eventual removal of Jamie’s mask was beautifully done and in perfect concert with the story.

The final sequence of panels sees Ricky pay a visit to one of the scientists who had tormented his family during their time at Hawkins. These final panels take on a darker tone as Ricky and Marcy’s journey wraps up.

Overall

Jody Houser provided a brilliant finale to this addition to the Stranger Things universe. In Ricky and Marcy she gave us two characters that we could get behind from the very start. I loved how she handled the narrative of Marcy trying to reconnect with her sister and Ricky’s obvious concern that Jamie was not going to be able to regain control before killing them both. The mirrors were a great visual touch that really gave you an idea of the confusion that Jamie was going through in regards to her figuring out what was real and what wasn’t.

Overall. A great end to what has been a solid story, which included some nice appearances from a number of characters from the shows second season.