Consumed By Darkness: Reviewing ‘Static: Shadows Of Dakota’ #4

Heroes always win. They vanquish evil, right injustices, rescue those who need rescuing, and generally save the day or world. Except…that’s not always true.

Heroes sometimes lose. They stumble, they are defeated, are powerless against an unjust system, and sadly sometimes can’t save those who need to be saved. That’s a lesson that hits hard. It’s one that Virgil Hawkins/Static has just learned.

So far every issue of Static: Shadows of Dakota has hit hard in some way, much like its predecessor series. Tackling issues of social injustice, crimes committed upon marginalized communities, bigotry, and more. With the fourth issue, though, Nikolas Draper-Ivey and Vita Ayala pull out all the stops and deliver a gut punch.

If you haven’t read the issue yet, turn back and do so now. This review will not do it justice, but also you deserve not to be spoiled.

Okay…this was a tough one but a powerful one. We get more of the honest look at marginalized people’s relationship with law enforcement as the search for Quincy. A young Black man being written off as “trouble” by the cops, compounded by the just as intense dismissal of the mission Bang Babies. Those in already marginalized groups are already othered by society, but now with powers, they feel it even more.

We, the readers, feel the anger at this moment but it doesn’t stop there. As Static searches for Quincy, he crosses paths with Ebon, who is angry and violent. As our hero tries to do the hero thing he is utterly decimated by Ebon, beaten down and left bleeding. Only to return home to find out that Quincy has been found, but he is dead.

This whole series is surrounded by darkness, both in concept and execution, and it’s fully felt here. A hero being broken down and taken to their lowest is often a tool in stories because it speaks to relatability. Virgil is confronted by two foes that are more powerful than him, one physical and one institutional.

All that darkness is overwhelming, in part because of how tonally appropriate Draper-Ivey’s work has been. Swirling darkness fills the pages, always keeping the overwhelming feeling present. There is so much weight and depth to the artwork, it feels heavy on the page. This gives it a sense of being grounded, but there are also plenty of fantastical elements too.

A key to stories like this is to create a world that feels entirely like our own but elevated.

Draper-Ivey hits that every time because appearance and color-wise, mostly the more toned-down portions, the overall world could be our own. Sure, the city is a fictional one but it resembles most urban environments around us. The elevation comes from the superhero/villain/fantastical elements that have splashes of brighter or more vivid colors. Much like the artwork the colors that Draper-Ivey, and Wil Quintana, mix in feel both heavy and light at the same time.

Rounding out these feelings are the lettering elements brought by Andworld Design. We can see and feel things from the story from the visuals, but being able to ‘hear’ them accurately enhances the experience. We can see/hear the pain during moments, and feel the anger or coldness of others. Infusing the words with that energy is something these folks do so very well. Along with dropping in so many great artistic choices that bring life, fun, and power to words.

Static: Shadows of Dakota #4 is now available from DC Comics.