The Mandalorian #4 - Comic Review

Aptly titled Sanctuary, Marvel Comics’ The Mandalorian #4 follows Mando and the Child as they seek a place to take refuge after escaping the Guild and the Empire Remnant. They find it on the planet Sorgan but things aren’t as peaceful as they seem. Cara Dune makes her debut appearance in an unforgettable fight sequence which ends with the now classic shot of the Child enjoying his bone broth. Dune has dibs on Sorgan but Mando thinks he might just have found a way to make it work for both of them. An isolated village seeks help to defend themselves against their enemies, and offer food, shelter, and some credits in return. The village offers Mando a glimpse of domestic life, with a potential mate and plenty of childcare options, almost too good to be true! He and Dune discover it’s no small time foe they’re up against as they find Imperial walker tracks nearby. The villagers, desperate for any kind of help, agree to be trained on how to end their suffering once and for all, and against the odds, they come out victorious. Mando knows that he and the Child will always be hunted, so rather than endanger an entire village, he makes the tough decision to move on, leaving behind all that could have been.

The Mandalorian #4 is a shift in tone for the series, as the episode was for the Disney+ show. Taking the Mandalorian to a new world offers the opportunity for a different storytelling approach, one more slowly paced and nuanced. Writer Rodney Barnes hits all of the story beats that absolutely need to be there (the Child refusing to stay on the ship, the aforementioned soup shot) but he also lets this issue breathe in the quiet moments. The scenes with Mando and village widower Omera are steeped in emotion and longing; readers really get to experience this shift in perspective with Mando. The Mandalorian #4 also gets its fair share of action, keeping the issue nicely balanced. Penciler Georges Jeanty’s work is consistently great; his page compositions are particularly strong in issue #4, especially in the action sequences. Inker Karl Story, color artist Rachelle Rosenberg and letterer Joe Caramagna are 4 for 4 in terms of top notch quality in everything they do. The Mandalorian #4’s AT-ST fight sequence was definitely a highlight in which the entire artistic team excelled, including Phil Noto who included it as a portion of his cover. Noto includes the explosive action with a tender moment between Mando and Omera, keeping with the theme of balance in this issue.

The Mandalorian #4 has multiple variant covers, offering collectors a bounty of books to include in their collections. Two variants feature Mando in action hero mode; Jan Duursema and Brad Anderson’s have him airborne mid-explosion and Greg Land and Frank D’Armata’s show him stepping off the Razor Crest ready for anything. Artists Christian Alzmann, Salvador Larrocca and Peach Momoko’s covers all feature the Child and definitely lean on the emotional aspects of issue #4’s storyline.

The Mandalorian #4 has landed, be sure to pick up a copy today!