Writer: Jeff Mariotte
Pencils: Francesco Francavilla
Colors: Wes Hartman
Letters: Johnny Lowe
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Shannon Eric Denton
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
(No Spoilers)
Action! Action! Action! That’s what I’m learning this story is about. I’ve called this Wildstorm’s summer blockbuster before and there’s no better description for it. There is a small thread of a story here but for the most part, it’s all action all the time.
I think I’m starting to see that this book would’ve been great in the 90’s. In the 90’s it was all about great art and less about story. I have to honestly say I think the saving grace with this comic for me is Francesco Francavilla’s art. There’s just no substance to this story but damn does Francavilla draw some amazing action scenes in this comic! If Michael Bay is looking for another movie to do after Transformers 3 is done, this would be a worthy candidate based solely on the amount of action.
The last issue moved the story along a little better than here. There are some really clever scenes in here involving Garrison and how he eludes the authorities but not much else. I will say I love how Garrison’s pursuers raise their arsenal to a very lethal notch after losing to Garrison several times over the past few issues. It seems like overkill but Garrison proves that in his case it may still not be enough.
Francesco Francavilla continues to deliver some gruesome death scenes too. This is why I can’t get away from comparing it to a summer blockbuster movie. You’ve got lots of explosions here and lots of fighting with little story. Isn’t that the traditional formula for a summer blockbuster?
I think when all is said and done this may read better as a whole. There’s still a mystery behind the title character that has yet to be solved. I was hoping for at least a little more revelation in this issue. But like I said, I think Francavilla’s art is really what’s got me enjoying a book that would normally leave me wanting for more story. So far it’s been a fun little romp that hasn’t required much thinking on my part. I know one thing for sure. If these last 4 issues are any indication, we’ve still got 2 more action-packed issues before this mini-series is done.
7 out of 10 (Above Average)