The Woods, Vol. 4: Movie Night

The Woods

by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas (Illustrator and Co-Creator), Josan Gonzalez (Colorist)

On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers, and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace, finding themselves countless light years away in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. In the wake of the election, the results have turned the students against their new-found allies. And as Karen learns more about the Aboriginal people and their control over the power of the Woods, she must chose between her friends and her destiny.

Created and written by James Tynion IV (BATMAN ETERNAL), illustrated by Michael Dialynas (AMALA’S BLADE), and colored by Josan Gonzalez, “Movie Night” collects the critically acclaimed fourth arc of the best-selling series.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2016

About the author

Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

There seems to be a time jump from Vol. 3 to vol 4. I don’t remember the hunters in the woods coming back to the high school and where did the evil teachers get off to. I feel like I’m missing something here.

We meet an evil nazi-like army that is the 2nd party in the woods. There is also some weird plant growing in the woods that is one hell of a mind trip. It can almost kill a person after one use.

There is a lot happening in the story and I am still having a good time reading this story. There are couples breaking up and maybe some flirting going on. The kids have made a home in this strange world and they are growing up. I do wonder if they will ever get home.

I’m curious what new things will happen and how this cliffhanger will end.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year has passed and the school has transitioned into a colony, looking to trade with New London. There's a big election coming up between Maria and Calder's brother to determine who will lead. Then a new threat arises, The Horde, a group of Japanese soldiers from World War II.

This series continues to impress.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Until this episode, I was enjoying the series, but it’s gone off the boil for me...

[ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still adore this series. The art is amazing, and the story is unique and weird and wonderful. Can't wait to see what's next in this series!

[Václav · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3,4 of 5 for raising the antes)
I like how the story slowly gets better, more serious and interesting. So if I would somehow exclude the first two books I would get even bit excited about The Woods. I'm starting to get used to the art (and it maybe gets better bit by bit), but I realized that I do not actually care about the characters. I maybe hate a few of them, but so far I feel like that aliens, quiet observer not burdened by concerns about involved creatures, just watching and waiting for the outcome. Thanks to the story it doesn't feel bad. Maybe even otherwise. So I'm ready for what comes next, hoping it will not stump my sprouting enthusiasm about this comics series.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One year later. After the climax of the last issue, we jump ahead and see how everybody fared in the year since. Somehow I had thought that the events in the last volume would lead up to a climax in this one here, but apparently I blinked and the climax has happened already... Anyway... I like how this story is developing and the artwork stepped up in quality as well.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series still continues to be one of my favourites. I just love the characters and the weirdness of the story and the art work is wonderful, the colours always work so perfectly together.
I wish I didn't have to wait so long in between each volume!

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A time jump, a new danger, a new balance of powers.

[Ryan Provstgaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title and cover game is certainly weak. But story does not disappoint.

Lets get this straight, I am loving this series and I loved this book because what this series has been providing. Great artwork, wonderful suspense, and lovable characters that we all can follow and relate to. But this in the whole of a series seemed like a slump. Maybe slump isn't the best choice because the pace is no problem what so ever. I just felt like too much time had passed and I was wondering what I was missing.

As a book on its own I felt like it was great. Characters were strong and driven. But as this is the 4th installment of a single story I had felt like it was book 5 and 4 was skipped by mistake. I know trust the writing that it'll bring the story full circle but for the mean time I'm wondering how characters got to the point they are now. Huge character shifts and arcs with heavy consequences left me flipping back to the last book wondering what I was missing.

My rating is still high because of the faith I have in the writer to bring things in full circle. As a book on its own with out the series behind it and not knowing what in front is still a great book that would get anyone immersed and intrigued. Things are heating up for sure though. James Tynion IV is finding great creative ways to make this story interesting and fun. All while characters are growing leading into what I expect may be big arcs in the future.

Can't wait for the next. Reading now!

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only have one more of these free through Comixology, so I really really hope it doesn't leave me on a cliffhanger. That said, the forth volume was even better than the last! Action packed, surprising and the characters are just awesome.

[Sheila Fernández Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sander is just so awesome <3

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
I just didn’t enjoy this. There’s a time jump just not really explained and plot points that aren’t explained so I was just confused.

[maggiefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm worried about Isaac. I don't want anything bad to happen to my baby.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the second year of The Woods begins, we get a time skip of sorts, and the details of which trickle through the four issues contained within this trade. Boom! seem to like short trades, irritatingly.

It's been a while since I read Volume 3, but the world of the Woods is easy to slot back into as we discover how all our favourite characters have changed in the past year and how far Bay Point has come. New threats rear their ugly heads, and old mysteries continue to elude us, and of course just when everything's getting even more exciting, the book ends. Damn it.

Michael Dialynas's artwork remains consistent, and Josan Gonzalez's colours really sell the alien-ness of this other world. His choices for the drug trip sequences of the book are especially psychedelic.

More of a 3.5 than a 4, but builds momentum nicely.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Aaaaand let's skip a year later. Sure we'll find out what's happened in that year, in the most awkward, clunky, ham-fisted way. Meaning characters just suddenly changed and are hunters or governors or not in the school anymore.

Yay.

This is starting to feel like a clone of Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead". We have skipped time and the students are prepping, not for a town fair, but for a movie. Characters who were in relationships aren't; Maria is even becoming a modest Rick Grimes clone (as if the world needed another Rick Marty Stu Grimes).

Maybe we'll get answers in volume 5? Or maybe we'll keep squeezing drama by creating new "transported civilizations of the week".

There are worse reads, but this is starting to wear very thin.

[Štěpán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time skip that suffers a little bit from the "another info dump and being very short". I am convinced that this series is good. But the paperback distribution per 4 issues is hurting it very badly.

However, the art is stellar and drug scenes are great. It is a little bit action dry but I know that the next volume will be much juicier in this regard. The relationships are played and shown a little bit more. Some work and some are just too weird.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still enjoying this series, but I feel like it jumps around a bit. I know time passes between each volume, but not seeing the cause and effect of the situations makes the story seem disjointed a bit.

Every volume feels like we’re getting a slice of life the characters have already acclimated to, so we never see them adjust. We see them potentially transformed, but rarely do we see the transformation.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not a fan of the large temporal jump between vol. 3 and 4. The characters lacked full development, and I wanted to experience the emotional transformation of the characters as the reality of their situation set in. I am excited, however, for the introduction of a new bad guy- even if Casey is one of the most obnoxious antagonists of all time.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, has this series taken a nosedive. The story jumps ahead one year and suddenly I lose all my interest in all the characters. Now the book is all about politics and military alliances with some drug abuse thrown in for kicks. I'm on the fence about whether I'll bother with the next volume.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up a year after the bloody end of Vol 3, we find the Bay Point students quite changed by the alien world, and the actions they've taken to survive, as a new threat rises to destroy what little normalcy they have.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get a year time jump with this one and a lot has changed at the school. Relationships have been formed and some are in a state of isolation. All that changes with the arrival of The horde, a heavily armed group of troops looking to dominate all that the young kids have created.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5ish stars. It had been a long time since I read the one before it and that made this suffer a bit. But overall I'm just not that interested in the story at this point. There's a root that causes hallucinations and is extremely addictive. We've been introduced to a new group that seems to kill everyone that doesn't submit to them, the are known as the Horde.
Really though I don't care about the story so I think I am done.

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh this story was so so good! Timeline jumps one year. We see the school becoming a functioning city with Maria leading the way. But an election puts her power at risk when Casey runs against her. Karen is fully living in the woods, hunting & avoiding Calder. A new drug threatens the society as does an encroaching army.

So, so twisted & keeps getting more and more complex. The story is so strange but there are familiar tropes to keep you company along the way. Am I speaking too soon to say I’d LOVE to see this made into a TV show? Like Paper Girls meets Stranger Things meets Lord of the Flies? But in space?

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly didn't expect a jump forward of a year, but it was a great choice. It allowed our characters to grow into new roles and for the next problem to somewhat organically come along. This volume is largely set up, just like V1 was, pushing characters in new directions, and suggesting what might be coming.

Tynion dares to dream big.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loving the series as it continues on. A year has passed since Adrian's death and Karen is staying away and hunting while Isaiah is pretending to be something he is not. A new evil has shown up (but technically they are really old) to do back things to the school/camp. Cool graphics and a story that wants me to just keep on reading it.

[~ Ombrayes ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to kind of understand this one, I felt like I was missing a book. Either way, I like this introduction of a new villain and a drug.

[Valéria. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate time skipping so much..

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 (biblio)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of my October 2025 spooky reading marathon (book seven).

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5