The cops of the city are dirty. Supremacists run rampant in the streets. Levi Cohen is about to show them the error of their ways, one bludgeoning injury at a time. Your Major Spoilers review of The Holy Roller #4 from Image Comics awaits!
THE HOLY ROLLER #4
Writer: Rick Remender/Andy Samberg/Joe Trohman
Artist: Roland Boschi
Colorist: Moreno Dinisio
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Editor: Harper Jaten
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 21, 2024
Previously in The Holy Roller: There’s a festering rot in Levi Cohen’s hometown. We can’t wait for somebody else to save us, can’t wait for somebody else to stand up and set things right. It’s our time to turn and face the rot.
It’s time for the Holy Roller to lead the charge.
THE SEVEN-TEN SPLIT OF JUSTICE
After losing his home to corrupt police officers, David Cohen has been exiled to the couch of his son’s best friend, watching as the corrupt cops and complicit media label his son a criminal. In the strictest sense, they might have a point, but as we see through the first half of The Holy Roller #4, he’s only raining down swift and blinding violence on the white Nationalist jerks who have infiltrated every level of government. The so-called “real ‘Muricans” target immigrants, people of color, interracial couples… anyone that they deem to be “not normal.” But repeatedly, they run afoul of The Holy Roller and his 20-pound balls of justice! As for the mysterious Mister Henry, the oligarch behind the surge in Nationalism, he has problems of his own, even as his various business interests reach unparalleled levels of success and profit. So much so, in fact, that he throws his only son out of the house during a meeting of all his horrible friends and allies, never realizing that The Holy Roller is watching from above.
NAZIS… I HATE THOSE GUYS
The first four issues of this book, slated to be a ten-issue limited series, have ranged from amusing to hilarious, all while maintaining a sense of urgency and danger. Indeed, I’d normally be bothered that Levi is only seen in costume, with his full arsenal of trick bowling balls, in this issue, but the build-up to this issue’s big reveal was perfectly paced. Also, the first full appearance of Holy Roller features the line, “Wouldja believe I was bitten by a radioactive bowling ball?”, a truly legendary turn of phrase. The snappy dialogue makes me think this writing team would do a great Spider-Man, but I also enjoy the darkly comic use of neo-Nazis as the idiot villains. Boschi’s art is perfect for the story’s tone, combining a touch of cartoonishness with design work that would sustain any Big Two superhero story. If it weren’t for the main character’s resemblance to Andy Samberg and the darkly comedic tone, we could be reading a well-crafted issue of Daredevil or Batman
BOTTOM LINE: VULGAR, GOOFY, ACTION-ADVENTURE
The Holy Roller #4 achieves the difficult task of creating a serious story while not taking itself too seriously, with attractive, dynamic art that gives Levi’s crusade a firm grounding, and just the right amount of jokes about old man testicles, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. If you’ve ever wondered what Batman might be like in the universe of Brooklyn 99, this is absolutely the book for you.
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THE HOLY ROLLER #4
A post-modern take on a Spider-Man-like vigilante whose equipment is all bowling-themed could be a mess, but sharp writing instincts and some really funny material make this one work.
And the art? Even better.
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Writing8
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Art9
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Coloring8
