King of Spies #4 is the final issue in the limited series from Millarworld. Mark Millar and Matteo Scalera created a spy story with a unique spin on it. After realising he’s dying, retired spy, Roland King vows to make up for his past misdeeds. Instead of killing innocents for his Government, he kills the corrupt. Unfortunately for him, this puts a target on his back. The British Government want him gone and will go to any lengths to do so. They even send his estranged son after him.
Sadly, King of Spies is only four issues. However, a lot is packed into those four issues and it decreases the chance of padding. Before I go into the story, I want to mention the other names connected to this limited series. After all, it’s the end and every person working on it deserves to be known.
Giovanna Niro (Colourist), Clem Robins (Letterer), Melina Mikulic (Design and Production), Frances Mullen and Sarah Unwin (Editorial Production Managers), Lucy Millar (CEO) and Matteo Scalera and Ozgur Yildirim (Cover Artists).
King of Spies #4 opens where the previous issue finishes. Roland is facing the siblings Idris and Izzy and their fight is gruesome. He then continues his run from the authorities, giving the reader a deeper look at Roland’s interesting past. For a story packed with a lot of bloodshed and death, there’s also a lot of heart-wrenching moments and great character work.
Since this is the final issue, anything can happen and it does. Even in the middle, there’s a slight lull, but it makes sense in terms of where it’s going. Without the respite, what happens next wouldn’t be as effective. Beneath it all, this is a story about a man being the best version of himself and bettering the lives of those he cares about.
Matteo Scalera’s art is on top form as always. The best way to describe the style is by comparing it to the character of Roland. On the outside, he appears rough but if you look hard enough there’s a softer side that creates a new dimension only Matteo could. There’s a specific panel within a panel that shows a lot of character development. It’s a close-up of Roland’s eyes. It helps the reader connect with Roland’s emotions at the lowest point of his life.
There’s also another panel near the end that, simply put, is beautiful. The panel is a thinking Roland taking up most of the white page. However, inside of his silhouette, it shows his past regrets. Through this, it’s showing us a lot without needing to use words. It also provides an insight into Roland’s mind.
King of Spies #4 is an explosive and satisfying conclusion. It’s a shame this is the end but all good things come to an end. Although, there’s still the live-action version of the series to come. Details are sparse on it right now but hopefully, we’ll hear more about it soon. In the meantime, don’t miss the other comics from Millarworld. The recent issue of The Magic Order was released on the 2nd of March while the next issue releases at the end of the month.
