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Men of Wrath #4 cover by Ron Garney and Matt Milla

My father's house.

The future is the key to the survival of the Rath men.

Seeking to be finally redeemed from the curse of the Rath family men, Rueben and Ira go toe-to-toe as their worlds collide in a series of violent acts that will leave blood spilled over the floor.

Issue #4 of Men of Wrath is extremely focused. Writer Jason Aaron brings together Ira and Rueben Rath again, following their showdown at the church in the previous issue. Rueben is in the driver's seat, in a type of role reversal that lets readers solidify an understanding of the central character's motives as we move toward the final issue.

This has been such a phenomenally dark series so far, strikingly different from what Aaron is producing in more family friendly titles for Marvel. It is a return to the Aaron of Scalped ilk, and we are fortunate to experience his unfettered nature here, where he is showing a truly diverse range of writing abilities.

A young Rueben Rath wants his momma back home

Men of Wrath #4 examines the personal restraints of Ira Rath. Thus far we have seen Rath men killing members of their family mercilessly, yet here we get a glimpse of a man at a crossroads. Much of this is also to do with Rueben and the next stage of the Rath generations. In a move that I had hoped to see, yet wasn't guaranteed, both men strike out to save their children, but the consequences of their actions leave a lasting cliffhanger for the final issue.

I love how Aaron is displaying the core theme of family as important to the story, yet he has flipped it on its head. Conflicting with a notion of the importance of family, Aaron is debunking a central tenant of this argument as the family being responsible for how a person turns out, but upholding the fact that the family is an important influence on how members can be driven from childhood to adulthood.

Ira Rath takes care of family business

Ron Garney and Matt Milla's art remains consistently gripping as the previous issues. Garney is instrumental to the pacing and tense action in this issue. It is easy to be drawn in by the panel work Garney employs to keep readers in a constant state of tension. The dramatic and bold ink work is heavy to match the tone of the drama. The thick lines provide an emphasis for the boldness of the characters, with their gnarly and at times grizzled lives.

Aaron and Garney provide a brutally fantastic experience. Men of Wrath is a gripping story that is emotionally dark, violently honest, and brilliantly delivered by creators at the top of their game. As we look to the final issue next month, this will leave a big hole in my pull list. One positive of this will be the opportunity to sit back and read the entire series from the first issue to the last.

I have enjoyed this series, but we want to hear what you think so far. How have you enjoyed Men of Wrath? What do you think about it now compared to the first issue? How good is Garney's art? Make sure you leave a comment below and come back next time for the final issue of Men of Wrath.