In this review of Narco #4, Marcus comes to a startling conclusion.
Narco #4
Writer: Doug Wagner
Art and Main Cover: Daniel Hillyard
Variant Covers: Daniel Hillyard
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: June 24, 2026
This review contains spoilers
As Narco #4 begins, Dean shows up at Marcus’s door, calling him out for going to Kase’s without him. When Marcus suggests going to talk to Violet, Dean immediately vetoes the idea and says he can no longer help him.
After Dean leaves, Marcus falls asleep. But he’s woken by the fact that his apartment is very much on fire. He’s trying to get out, Kase shows up to see what’s wrong and together, they manage to get Marcus out of his burning apartment.
Though Kase is still incredibly upset at Marcus, he invites Marcus to stay with him, since he’s now lost everything he owns. He’s also gotten him a box of his favorite type of Pop-Tarts.
Marcus takes the box and sits out on his usual bench to think. He’s joined by his possum buddy, talking to it and offering it one of the snacks. He warns it about not trusting anyone that’s too sweet, because that could lead to trouble…which is when a light comes on for him.
He rushes to Violet’s house to talk about Dean, but there’s no answer at the door. After a few knocks, it opens a bit and he steps inside. There’s a body on the floor, and that’s when he finds Violet. The name “Marcus King” is written in her blood, and Marcus can hear the cops closing in. He hurriedly erases part of the message, rushing off before the police get to him.
Now more than ever, if the killer turns out to NOT be Dean, I’ll be very shocked. For one thing, he was very quick to turn down Marcus’s idea of visiting Violet. Suspiciously so. Secondly, we’re an issue away from the end of the story and barring any last-minute twists…all that’s missing is the motive.
And did he commit arson? I mean, he leaves Marcus’s apartment and some amount of time later, it bursts into flames? It’s not clear exactly how much time had passed in between the confrontation and the fire. It could be an accident. But suspicions are high.
Also, there’s no way Violet wrote Marcus’s name in her blood herself. She’s established to be highly competent at her job. Marcus’s last name is “James”, not “King”. And Violet would have known this. Plus, the position of her head when she’d passed feels a bit off; wouldn’t she have had her eyes on what she was writing if she were, in fact, writing it?
Still definitely hoping it doesn’t turn out to be Kase. Especially because Prime Suspect Number One seems so intent on throwing him under the bus.
Am wondering, also, about the possum. Was that box of Pop-Tarts tampered with somehow, or is it just playing possum? I know that with Marcus’s narcolepsy, it’s a very fitting animal companion for him. I’d always thought that was a great creative choice. And hoping it’s actually okay, story-wise.
It’s brought up that Marcus and Kase wear the same size clothing. Bindi says that’s a bit weird, but honestly, it doesn’t feel that odd to me. I mean, this stuff’s probably more off the rack than actually tailored, so there’re probably a lot of things in their mutual size. But at the same time, this detail’s inclusion feels very intentional.
Everything’s coming together by the end of Narco #4, and I’m hoping that issue five resolves every loose thread. I’m confident that it will, of course. We’ve got some excellent writers on this series.
Art-wise, I think a highlight for me in Narco #4 is the scene of the fire. The way it’s drawn gives it every bit of the dramatic tension the moment warrants. The compositions, the posing, how the doorframe becomes hazy as Marcus gets to it, like he’s about to have an episode…all of it.
Final Thoughts
The mystery is coming to its conclusion in Narco #4, and I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up. We’ve got some excellent twists and one of the most dramatic scenes to date.
