Fans of The Venture Brothers, prepare for major changes in season 4.  And fear not, those changes are actually for the better.

First off, the Venture brothers of Hank and Dean are finally growing up…mostly because they have no other choice.  Brock Sampson has left the Venture family and quit the OSI to join another mysterious organization called S.P.H.I.N.X.  So somehow, recovering pedophile Sgt. Hatred has become the new bodyguard for two teenage boys to protect them from the constant arching of The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.  And after the apparent death of Henchman 24, Henchman 21 has turned a hardcore, badass, fighting machine…for real.  

The Venture Brothers is easily one of the smartest, funniest and well written shows on TV and the new directions this season have given the series a shot in the arm.  I wouldn’t say this is a complete reboot, ala Eureka, but more of a paradigm shift that has opened the show up to richer and more complex storylines.  So much so, that the viewer is encouraged to watch episodes repeatedly, especially the season premiere, “Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel.”  The pop culture references are top notch as always, I mean where else are you going to find David Bowie as the leader of a villainous cabal?  Or like in the episode, “Self-Medication,” where Dr. Venture goes into group therapy with thinly veiled doppelgangers of Jonny Quest, Robin, The Hardy Boys and Astro Boy.  It’s no wonder that Doc Hammer mentions in one of the creator commentary tracks, “Geeks are rewarded in the The Venture Brothers.”  

The only real complaints from the interwebbery are about the DVD itself.  There is a huge phalanx of fans who are up in arms about the season being split in twain and having to purchase two separate releases.  I can understand their point, but since the final half of this season debuted almost a year after the premiere, I don’t mind having a refresher course to catch me up to speed.  That and this season will be 16 episodes instead of the typical 13, so they should be grateful that they’re getting more show.  But there is also much grumbling about the packaging and this is where I will agree.  I’m a completist and a big fan of consistency, so I’m none too pleased when a series changes their packaging midway through, i.e. The Simpsons.  And though I can appreciate the graphic design of the new release, I wish it would still match the look of the prior boxes.  There’s also no love for the Blu-Ray folks currently, but I’m sure they’re the ones that will get the complete season packaging, while us DVD people will be stuck with two cases on the shelf.  

But given all that, I still say this is definitely worth owning.  And I wholeheartedly agree with the Comic-Con promo spot found in the extra features:  “History has proved every 4th thing is the most important,” and The Venture Brothers season 4 (vol. 1) can now join the ranks of Led Zepellin 4, Episode 4 (A New Hope), 4 wheel drive, 4-H Club, 4th of July, Beethoven’s 4th Symphony and 4 Weddings and a Funeral in proving that point.