Broken Frontier

Readers can only hope that BOOM! Studios either extends Codebreakers into another mini or ongoing series, or at least offers writer Carey Malloy the opportunity to pen another book because the release of Codebreakers #4 is both a welcome issue to what has been a superb series and a lamentable conclusion to a book that has ended far too soon.

Dealing with the fallout from Reny's orchestrated explosion, Codebreakers #4 opens with the tragic outcomes for Agents Foster, Stanley, Lindsay, and Malcolm.  The most interesting sequences within this opening section are Reny's capture of Lindsay and Foster's plan for escape as Malloy reveals even more about all of their cipher abilities.  At the core of this issue, however, is the pressing concern Reny has regarding a secret Foster has kept since the death of Ella.  Upon taking Lindsay, Reny informs her that she has been his primary target, a source to decipher Foster's elusive and hidden information.  From Reny's description, the secret is something so protected that its existence perhaps blinds him to potential tells or signs of impending danger during his interrogation of Lindsay.  Yet, any hints of weakness are immediately erased as he regains his composure immediately and reignites the mind games with Agent Foster.

Perhaps the greatest drama, however, comes at the revelations Malloy unravels in the final pages of the story.  While audiences may champion Foster's desire to kill Reny for not only his current crimes, but also the sins of their shared pasts, his decision reveals more about his own character and the secret he's been keeping.  Furthermore, since Reny's actions have touched and affected every member of the agency, assigning his fate to Foster alone would be a disservice to Lindsay, Malcolm, and particularly Stanley.  No spoilers here but suffice it to say that justice is delivered both for victims past and present.  Even the twist regarding Director McGovern's intentions plays out well as the basis for his involvement is intrinsically tied to Foster's own personal goals.

While variant covers tend to cater to a very specialized market of readers, mostly those who can afford paying double the cost for the same issue, BOOM! honestly makes the investment very tempting.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in the excellent covers for the entire Codebreakers series, of which issue #4's cover is by far the most detailed.  Combined with Scott Godlewski's beautiful interiors that illustrate his command of the graphic medium and abilities as a sequential storyteller, these covers complement the achievements of Malloy's tight and innovative scripts.