The Ambassadors #4 (of 6)

Lyles Movie Files

This issue of the world’s greatest lottery to become a superhero takes the road trip to Brazil. Writer Mark Millar introduces us to Father Vitor Pereira, a deeply religious man trying to work through the corruption of the police under the thumb of a crime boss. Vitor is a good man and is equally humble. When approached to join the Ambassadors, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea insisting he’s already part of another team and doesn’t need to be a superhero. Vitor is also trying to help redeem Zee, one of the officers who carries out her boss’ orders, so someone worse doesn’t come along and replace her. Miller has done a fantastic job of making these issues work as self-contained stories and also part of the larger arc. Millar reunites with his Magic Order artist Olivier Coipel as the rotating artist theme continues. Coipel and Millar have an easy shorthand, so Millar knows how to write to Coipel’s strengths, which are his stellar attention to detail and emotive characters. Coipel puts such fun little details in his pages that they warrant revisiting. Take the crime boss lounging like a slob on his couch while next to him, his cat is licking its crotch before coming over and licking the crime boss in his face. Giovanna Niro’s colors provide that smooth realistic edge that complements Coipel’s artwork so well. The issue ends with a tease on the epilogue moments from previous issues and a hint that they’ve assembled and ready to cause problems for the Ambassadors. This title keeps delivering and I’m thrilled to have my passport to go along for the ride.

Un Cómic Más

Millar makes it clear that the scale of this story seems limitless with a huge potential for adaptation. Art Olivier offers an art with many textures where facial expressions stand out, which are key to telling this story, apart from a unique dynamism that his imprint offers, each page is a controlled artistic explosion. The colors handle pastel tones that give it a sensation of oil.

The Super Powered Fancast

The Story: Millar crafts an amazing story filled with great tension that leads to an awesome twist ending that I loved. The corruption elements of the story work really well and the tension between Father Pereira and Zee is palpable. Not only is the story complicated and engaging, but it is diving into some moral ambiguity that enhances the drama. The end of the issue opens more interesting turns for the story to take and I look forward to them. The Art: Coipel’s art is fantastic. Every action scene is visually thrilling and feels like its in motion. Every character moment is filled with great details and the visual style is amazing.

COMICON

A corrupt police force, a reluctant assassin and a devote priest raging against it all are the key ingredients to Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel’s ‘The Ambassadors’ #4. And, while the artwork stuns and captures the grim and the glamour well, this issue relies too heavily on stock characters and a stereotypical presentation of Brazil that, while true, is also too overplayed in modern media.