Corrupt Cops, A Pious Priest And A Not So Cold-Hearted Killer: Reviewing ‘The Ambassadors’ #4

Brazil. A country often associated with corruption at the highest level. And so it is in Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel’s The Ambassadors #4. It’s a familiar story of organised crime and corrupt cops, but with the cops calling the shots via their boss, Captain Lobo. A greasy, overweight comic book caricature who is designed to repulse. But, while he is the puppeteer it is his puppet, and cover star, Zee, who this issue revolves around. Her and the devout local priest, Father Vitor Pereira, who is to be the next recipient of superpowers, should he chose it.

As much as last issue captures the grandeur and beauty of Paris, this issue fully captures the contrasting worlds of the grim and impoverished favelas with the heady decadence of the elite. With both worlds’ contrasting backdrops better realised with the inclusion of the colours adopted by colourist Giovanni Niro. The poor neighbourhood Father Vitor serves is awash in dirty, muddy browns and similar earthy tones, while Captain Lobo’s lavish living quarters are much brighter, reflecting his far more luxurious lifestyle. 

Like with the previous issues in this series, there is a feel-good factor and something of a twist that, I felt, was too easily guessed at due to the prominence of Zee, the reluctant assassin that has to follow Captain Lobo’s kill orders, because… well, because if she didn’t do it, she’d be dead and someone even worse would take her place.

Beautifully artwork, but not necessarily the most convincing of stories in this new issue with a reliance on a stereotypical view of Brazil and stereotypical character-types too. 

The Ambassadors #4 is out now from Image Comics