Throughout its run so far, Deniz Camp’s Assorted Crisis Events has told several unique, touching stories. But issue #4 takes the series to another level. It explores the life of one, regular man, chronicling his life experiences.
The comics medium lends itself to action-packed stories, so when writers foray to more thoughtful, touching narratives, it can be very interesting indeed. Deniz Camp has explored both action-packed chaos and intimate tales so far in Assorted Crisis Events. The latest issue is one of the finest examples of the latter that I’ve read in recent years.
Issue #4 tells a lifetime of story in a 32-page singular issue — signifying the term ‘time flies’ from the outset. We follow Mike, a boy at the beginning of the comic, watching him grow up into a teen, then a young man applying for a job, as a family man, right the way through to his old age. It covers all of the formative and key events in his life; marriage, the birth of his children, and so on.
But Mike is far from a perfect, model person. The comic also covers his various vices (notably smoking, which is a constant plot line), trials and tribulations. It’s heartbreaking because it’s familiar. Most of us have either experienced or know someone who has experienced what he’s been through — even if it’s the rapid passage of time and the sense of inevitability. It elicits an emotional response from the reader. Time itself is something everyone deals with, and to utilise it as the ultimate threat, rather than larger sci-fi concepts, instantly makes the story deeper on a human level.
It also features a larger cameo from the recurring figure of the old man, apparent in every issue throughout the series. Despite appearing more often, at different times throughout Mike’s life, he remains as enigmatic as ever.
Eric Zawadzki’s artwork, too, stands out. I particularly liked the specific use of colours, representing different periods of the protagonist’s life.
Assorted Crisis Events continues to be a standout comic series of 2025. If you’re not reading this series, you’re massively missing out. Here’s to another 5-star review!
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Assorted Crisis Events #4 is out now from Image Comics.
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