Beta Ray Bill #4 Review

Written By: Daniel Warren Johnson
Art By: Daniel Warren Johnson
Colors By: Mike Spicer
Letters By: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Art By: Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 30, 2021

Beta Ray Bill #4 puts the Skuttlebutt crew in the clutches of a tentacled beast that traps them in their memories of love and hurt. When Skuttlebutt rescues Bill from his waking nightmare, they take a walk through the ship’s recorded memories to find the heart of the beast and free their ship. Unfortunately, it’s the end of the road for their voyage, and taking the sword is not as easy as it looks.

Was It Good?

It was amazing. Johnson has a knack for making Beta Ray Bill the most relatable, strong yet vulnerable, and human character in any Marvel title out right now. It’s an absolute pleasure to read this book. This applies as equally for his emotionally expressive art as it does for his writing.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

When we last we left our intrepid crew, their ship went down the drain (literally) into black, empty space. Then we see just a hint of gigantic tentacles reaching for them.

Now, Bill approaches a mirror in his Korbinite form. The image melts and distort until his cybernetic horse face rips through, sending him into screaming fits.

Suddenly, he wakes up on the ship wrapped in green tentacles. he’s freed from the monster’s grip by Skuttlebutt wielding an ax. There are grotesque veins an tentacles running throughout all the hallways blocking Skuttlebutt’s sensors. she attaches a cable from her chest ton terminal outlet and forms an analog connection into the ship’s system. Once connected, Skuttlebutt find the giant squid monster is wrapped around their ship and probably the rest of the crew.

Bill hers a fight in the next room and rushes in to find himself fighting with Thor as some sort of projection from their first meeting. Bill and Skutt conclude the monster is showing them vivid memoires to keep them distracted as it drags the ship into the dark depths.

Skutt is regretful that the recorded memories are being used against them and feels somehow responsible that something so precious could be used to cause Bill harm. Regardless of how you feel about the circumstances, Johnson builds a genuine connection between Bill and Skutt that’s emotionally deep and tender. Bill feels the pain of being confronted with the visions of his memories — always coming in second toe Thor, seeing Surtur attack his homeworld, agonizing over his unchanging appearance — and Skutt genuinely feels regret at never being able to console him sooner. She tries now.

They find the nexus point of the beast’s tentacles and Bill kills it with his ax. When the ship is released, Skutt barely manages to land it on the ground below, directly in front of Twilight. When bill exits the ship and tries to take the sword, it repels him. The sword will only be taken by one who is worthy.

Surtur arrives to prove his worth to Twilight by destroying Bill. If Bill wants Twilight, he has to take down Surtur first.