We start "Blind Side" at Q-Core in Washington DC with a young lady named Adrien Rivers (any relation to Charlotte?) giving a tour to a group of business men when a car comes smashing through Q-Core's front window. From the car Grifter emerges with his hostage the Daeamonite Tsavo taped at gun point to his wrist demanding to know who's in charge. He demands to see Oliver Queen while another Daemonite tries to speak to Tsavo only for Grifter to hear it, telling it to come out and face him. Tsavo tells Grifter he brought him here for a reason pretty much stating it was a trap, Grifter tell Tsavo if he goes down he takes Tsavo with him. Suddenly an arrow hits the tape binding Grifter and Tsavo together. The archer is none other than Green Arrow. Green Arrow fires a second arrow which Grifter catches before firing back fleeing into the city allowing Tsavo to escape.
We cut to Pope Army Airfield in Fayetteville North Carolina where The Colonel is discussing the events at the end of last issue that saw Cole's brother get killed. After they finish, Sergeant Brooks rushes to the Colonel with an i-pad type device showing him the events unfolding in Washington with Grifter.
In Washington, Grifter continues to flee from Green Arrow entering a parking lot and taking a red sports car. He ties his belt to the steering wheel before shooting through the wind screen, punching in cruise control, jumping on the hood steering the car while sooting back at Green Arrow. Green Arrow decides he needs to know who Grifter is and shoots a well place arrow hitting his mask taking it off, Grifter is quick to catch it and put it back on before his face is really seen however he looses the car as a result. When he gets up he draws his gun and is face to face with Green Arrow who has his bow drawn on Grifter meeting Grifter gun pointed at Arrow. The two talk with Grifter saying he is not after innocents he is simply trying to clear his name and to discover what Q-Core wants with him. Arrow is confused and Grifter demands to know Q-Cores involvement with the Daemonites is. Arrow calls Grifter insane before Grifter attempts to shoot Green Arrow but misses only for Green Arrow to shove an electrified arrow in the barrel of Grifter gun shocking him. Arrow tells a dazed Grifter he is taking him to Federal Court and a bunch of cops surround Grifter. Someone shoots a smoke bomb into the group and Green Arrow shoots it causing it to explode sending the gas into the middle of the group, Grifter makes a break for it and is met by a woman on a motor cycle who tells him to hop on which he does. The two escape the police and Green Arrow. Green Arrow contacts Naomi to see if she got Grifters I.D which she didn't however she did manage to get the idea of the mystery biker woman, her name is Sofia Cordon and she is a Q-Core employee. Arrow tells Naomi to pull all the info on Sofia and look into "Demon-Knight" as he vows to find out what is happening with his company.
We cut to "somewhere near Gotham City" where Gretchen is still being held captive and interrogated. The female interrogator demands to know what makes Cole Cash different from all other humans. Gretchen tells her to ask him. The interrogator no longer at eye level tells Gretchen her defiance is admirable and she loathes this body of hers, she loathes the earth and everyone in it and will do anything to get out. The last panel is all black except for Gretchen and a pair of Daemonite eyes with the words "anything" spoken in the Daemonite bubble.
In my opinion this series is one of the dark horse consistent titles of the new 52. This was an enjoyable effort from Nathan Edmondson, Scott Clark and Dave Beatty. The art was very well done once again and I thought the chase scene between Grifter and Green Arrow was very creative and well done. I really liked Grifter using his belt to steer his car stuck on cruise control while he stood on the hood of the car firing at Green Arrow. The visual of that was really cool. Speaking of Green Arrow I was worried that he was going to not help the story and serve as a cameo to help boost sales only. It seem Green Arrow/Oliver Queen will have more to do with this story, or so it seems anyway, which is a good thing. Character crossover is good when it makes sense, serves a purpose and is well written which this was. My only problem with this issue is that it had plenty of action which was good but little story movement until the end where we had the Gretchen follow up and the hopeful follow up of Green Arrow and Q-Core. I'm really liking this series a lot and it is probably my favorite series out there behind Scott Snyder's Batman.
Grifter #4:
Reviewed by David Cook
