The devastating events of the third issue have seen Chuck and his faithful canine companion, Addie, needing assistance in order to survive, but in a world that’s already been ravaged by an apocalyptic disaster, with another soon to follow, it seems that help, and hope, is wearing thin. Yet Chuck and Addie, still using their sci-fi fantasies to cope with the awful reality they must constantly deal with, may have found something to be optimistic for after all. Given that they’ve been on their own for so long, however, it’s going to be a challenge to trust and work with others, as they soon find out.

Despite the heart-rending events of the third issue, not to mention what’s come before, it seems that there still may be some light at the end of what is a very dark tunnel for our protagonists.

Writer Lee A. Carlisle, along with his brother, artist Ross Carlisle, have created an incredibly compelling and involving story in Orphans of the Impact Winter, with the flights of fancy Chuck takes in order to cope with simply continuing to survive, allowing for some brilliantly contrasting styles and visual flourishes.

This issue features quite a bit more dialogue, but it’s riveting stuff, as hints that there’s even more trouble out in the wider world are drip fed to both us and the characters; one particular sequence sees a clever, static style deployed to simulate a cacophony of radio messages.

There’s no massive gut punch here to compare to what happens in issue 3, though I’m thankful for that; I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take any more heartbreak. A brilliantly tense sequence does occur towards the end of the issue, as well as some lovely details in a few of the final panels; however, I daren’t get my hopes up too much, given how much the Carlisle brothers have already toyed with my emotions.

Orphans of the Impact Winter continues to be a fantastic story, very cleverly told, and every time I reach the end of an issue, I simply need to read the next part of the story. Which is as solid a recommendation as I can give; though it can be harrowing at times, it’s well worth checking out Orphans of the Impact Winter if you haven’t already; this fourth issue continues to prove why it’s currently one of the best comics being released right now.

Many thanks to Ross Carlisle for providing me with a review copy of Orphans of the Impact Winter #4.