Edwin Alva believes that he always holds the upper hand. Hardware begs to differ. Your Major Spoilers review of Hardware: Season One #4 from DC Comics awaits!

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HARDWARE: SEASON ONE #4

Writer: Brandon Thomas
Penciler: Denys Cowan
Inker: Bill Sienkiewicz
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Chris Conroy
Publisher: Milestone/DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 22, 2022

Previously in Hardware: Season One: With Curtis overseas and the heat closing in back in Dakota, Hardware’s associate (accomplice?) Tiffany faces a dangerous situation… and a difficult choice!

EDWIN ALVA IS NOT WHO HE PRETENDS TO BE

Hardware: Season One #4 opens with a press conference, as Barraki Young and Tiffany Evans, two of Hardware’s staunchest allies, go public with the truth about The Big Bang. Edwin Alva has been intentionally trying to pin the blame on Curtis “Hardware” Metcalf, but in truth, it is Alva himself behind it. As Hardware watches from Singapore, Tiffany lays out the evidence, leading Alva to take drastic actions against his accusers. Hiding out in the lab of his friend Asher, Hardware finds himself confronted by the truth of the matter, as Asher confronts him and tells him that it’s all over, by Alva’s orders. Hardware activates his armored shell, but Asher triggers the failsafe that disables all of Alva’s components in the suit…

…which would have constituted checkmate, if Curtis had LEFT any of Alva’s components in the suit. Of course, the incoming missile strike is still a problem, as is the assassin Alva has sent for Tiffany and Barraki.

THIS ART IS AMAZING

The moment where Hardware tersely reminds Asher how long it takes to get from Dakota to Hong Kong, then reveals why it took him longer (because he’s been ripping out Alva’s chips from his creation) is lovely, a rare moment where it’s the hero who gets to deliver the unexpected revelations about the plot. I like when a smart character gets to actually be smart in the story, but the real star of this issue is the work of Cowan and Sienkiewicz. Combining their respective styles somehow leads to a synthesis that keeps both their stylistic elements and makes things clearer and even more graphic. Even though the issue features no fighting or big battle sequences, it’s a tense and exciting read, and the moment where Hardware simply holds out his arm so that his gauntlet component can fly across the room and lock into place is wonderful, reminding us of what a Hardware movie might look like.

BOTTOM LINE: A STRONG MIDDLE CHAPTER

The art is the strongest part of Hardware: Season One #4, but the skillful build of the press conference to Alva’s disconcerting and improportionate response to Hardware’s reveal that things are about to get explodey is also well-done, making for a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. I’m not hearing a lot of buzz or fan talk about the revived MIlestone characters, which I hope just means I’m out of the loop, as a book this strong really deserves the attention of the fans, even if they weren’t around back in ’93 for the original.

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