7/24 Comics Review: Endings
NO/ONE #10 written by Kyle Higgins and Brian Buccellato with art by Geraldo Borges
It’s time for some accountability in the final issue of the Massive-verse crime noir series. Aaron Kerr has gathered the major players together, including his father, and is ready to demand answers. Accountability has been the driving force of the book since the beginning. Who needs to be held accountable, who is the one with the right to hold others accountable, and what is the means by which one should be held accountable? Every character we’ve interacted with throughout these past ten issues has had something to say on the subject and there does not seem to be a single consensus on what is correct. Even the book doesn’t have a clear stance on it, as we see many of those points of view reaching their own conclusions in this issue. In principle, truth is not something complicated. In fact, it’s utterly objective. And yet, the moment people are involved in the equation, it becomes murkier. There is no certainty in life and the book has made it clear that danger comes from a person believing they know better than anyone else. A person taking action while believing they know everything is not going to be prepared to deal with the consequences when they inevitably screw up. Maybe Aaron Kerr started with good intentions, maybe he intended to bring secrets to light and justice to those who had been denied it, but the first Richard Roe killer has gone too far down that road now and any potential he had to be a hero has long since been snuffed out before the story even began. The closest thing the book has to a hero is Julia Paige. Not because she possesses some kind of moral enlightenment, but because she understands she lacks all the answers and continues to search for them. The truth, the human truth, is not found in black and white, in good and evil, it’s found in the facts residing in the gray. Even NO/ONE, our resident vigilante, may not be evil, but it’s impossible to know whether they’re good either. The truth of their identity is as murky as any other and who is to say what has really been driving them this whole time?
Given all that, it may have been nice to have received all the answers to the mysteries driving this book, but that would have also been disingenuous to the themes of the story. In the end, we’re left with inklings and possibilities, but little in the way of truth. Even the characters are left wondering whether it’s worthwhile to continue the search or not. It would be easy to call the book unsatisfying and leave it at that, but the open-ended-ness of it has left me thinking about it for days in a way that I probably would not have if I’d been given all of the answers. At the end of the day, maybe it doesn’t matter who NO/ONE is. We have at least some understanding of why they started, of good intentions leading to unintended consequences and an attempt to make up for their own mistakes. Would a name change any of that? Damage, once done, can not be undone. Does that mean it isn’t a noble thing to try and make up for one’s mistakes? Who determines the correct way to do so? As we’ve seen from the spiraling consequences of Propostion 87, too much freedom of self-determination can be a disaster.
As always, Geraldo Borges art strikes a perfect tone. One thing that stood out to me in this issue was how intense the action was without feeling overly heightened. This isn’t a superpower book, no one is leaping over tall buildings or lifting up cars. When a person gets hit, they get hurt. Borges does an excellent job conveying that and it adds weight and tension to every action scene when we understand those actions have consequences.
NO/ONE is an unapologetic look at a political system in turmoil where the narrative of “good guys with guns” is thrown around without any consideration for what happens when someone actually buys into the narrative. It’s an examination of truth and uncertainty in an era where media is driven by views rather than facts, and it’s proof that one person can make a difference, but that difference isn’t always a good one.
Supermassive 2024 written by Mat Groom, Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Melissa Flores, and Joe Clark with art by Stefano Simeone
“I don’t even think there are bad peopl, just selfish ones...”
Our third annual Massiveverse crossover drops us right into the climax of the Catalyst War. Wendell (Radiant Yellow) has recruited mercenary Shift (Shift) to launch a rescue mission into a parallel timeline to rescue Cassia (Inferno Girl Red) and faster than you can say Ocean’s Eleven, he’s recruited Satomi (Radiant Red), Bibi (The Dead Lucky), and Dylan (Rogue Sun) to work with him in his mission. Even if you haven’t been reading their books (you should!) one page with each character gives you everything you need to know about who they are and what they’re about. Satomi is plagued by guilt and desperate to protect her loved ones, Dylan doesn’t even ask questions about the mission before he joins, and Bibi doesn’t want to go, but is motivated by a sense of debt. Then, of course, there’s Shift, a villain straight out of the pages of Radiant Black who’d been thrown in jail after his last attempt to steal the power-granting Radiant for his own use. He’d even put together a rogues group called “5yndicate” for the express purpose of killing Radiant Black. Despite all that, he’s never been malicious per-say. It’s not a huge leap in characterization for him to be told to launch an inter-dimensional rescue mission because the future says he’ll die if he doesn’t and for him to do so.
Once together, our erstwhile crew wastes no time in hopping across the dimensional boundary and launching a raid against a Catalyst ship. Stefano Simeone does an amazing job channeling all that tokusatsu energy which inspired the Massiveverse in the first place. The action is a spectacle, but at no point did I lose track of who was doing what or where they were. Each character has a distinct way of fighting, from Satomi punching with giant metal fists, to Bibi hopping onto robots and frying them with electricity, to Dylan flying around and launching firebolts. Dylan’s actions in this sequence stood out particularly as he rushes in with a typically hotheaded move, but it actually works. All of these characters have their flaws, but they’ve all been through the wringer and it’s given them the kind of competence that only comes through experience. Thanks to that, they’re able to rescue Cassia without a hitch. She’s the only one whose book hasn’t caught up to this event and her dialogue drops a few tantalizing hints about where her own story has taken her in the interim. Of course, rescuing Cassia is only the first part of the plan. The heroes still need to get back home via a portal in a designated area. All that means is that it’s time for a ROAD TRIP! The road trip was one of the best parts of the first Supermassive book and I was jazzed to see them bring it back here. Having the characters in a space with nothing to do but talk is such a wonderful way to get more insight into what makes them tick. Cassia’s idealism and Satomi’s jadedness create tension between them, but it’s Dylan of all people whose insight manages to pierce Satomi’s bitter shell. We’ve gotten glimpses of this from Dylan in Rogue Sun, and it really hammers home just how much potential he has to be a great hero.
Unfortunately, before they can get home, they’re stopped by the newest champion of the Catalyst army, Marshall Ward. Radiant Black #29 has shown has just how badly he was capable of falling, but now we’re able to see the broken shell of a man that’s become of him. In keeping with the themes of this book, he’s not evil, but he’s become so desperate to fix his mistakes that he won’t let anything get in his way. With no choice but to fight, our heroes transform in what is easily my favorite splash page from the book and charge into battle. As spectacular as the fight is, it’s truly sad to see what’s become of Marshall. Cassia and Satomi both knew him and considered him a friend, but he’s killed his timeline’s version of Satomi and he’s prepared to do the same thing again if it means undoing his mistakes. The fight ends with a bitter reminder that our choices may define us but they don’t erase who we are either. Of course, there’s one more moral dilemma to handle when the full scope of the mission becomes clear. Cassia is the first one to rail against it and Dylan joins in with a speech about what being a hero actually means. It works as perfect counterpoint to Shift’s words about there being no evil people. Being a hero means helping as many people as you can whether that’s one or one hundred and while our heroes may have completed their mission, they still have a lot of people to save. I’ll be curious to see how much they’re choices affect the future of the Massiveverse, because it’s clear that there’s no going back to normal for this world anymore.
What a blast of an issue. I was grinning ear-to-ear for most of it as the heroes bantered and argued with each other. Narratively, the book lays out it’s theme early on and does an excellent job of exploring it throughout. Each character’s arc reminded me of how much I’d enjoyed each of their individual stories and I know I’ll be spending the rest of the week going back to re-read them. If you’ve been reading any of the Massiveverse books, this one is a can’t miss. Even if you haven’t been reading them, this book is a perfect introduction to several of it’s key characters and a promise of what this universe has to offer. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Detective Comics #1087 written by Ram V with art by Christian Duce and Stefano Raffaele with abackup story written by Dan Watters with art by Francesco Francavilla
As we get further into the heat of conflict, it’s becoming increasingly clear just how good Ram V is at capturing the frenetic pace of a battle. This issue is non-stop action as we see the role that each of the assembled players have taken in this civil war of fear and darkness. It could have easily felt cluttered and disjointed, but because Ram V has spent so much time building up to this battle and establishing the roles of each character, it actually becomes rather easy to track where everyone is and what they’re doing. The tides of the battle seem to be turning in favor of the Bat-family as we see each of them doing fairly well for themselves. It’s not just the Bat-family either, as Gotham’s rogues have been drafted into either side with Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, and the Ten-Fingered Man on Batman’s side and Scarecrow (seemingly unwillingly) on the Orgham’s side. Despite the Bat-family gaining ground, the Orghams still hold control of the city and it’s clear they will use every trick they have to solidify it. Of course, the end of the issue reminds us that this is Gotham City and as much as one might try to impose order on it, chaos is always going to slip through the cracks.
This week art duty is shared by Christian Duce and Stefano Raffaele. Both artists have distinct styles, but they’ve expertly managed to keep the tone consistent. Luis Guerrero’s colors also play a key role in maintaining visual consistency throughout the book. Much like with the writing, the art is full of chaotic action, and yet the reader will be able to follow all of it thanks to the well-blocked scenes. I may sound like a broken record at this point, but I absolutely love Batman’s new suit. It looks amazing and the red symbol standing out on the black silhouette will never not be the coolest thing in the world. Inevitably, the suit will change again in the next book, but it’s great to have such an iconic costume as the symbol of what’s become one of my favorite eras in Batman’s history.
Of course, the story doesn’t end there. We get a backup story taking us into a particular moment of the battle as Azrael stalks towards two criminals. The moment I turned the page and saw Francesco Francavilla’s art, I was all in. There’s no one who does street-level noir like Francavilla and he does not disappoint here. The entire story looks like it’s lit by the light of a burning city, wreathing it’s characters in shadow.
The story centers around a single moment of the battle, allowing both the reader and the heroes to catch their breath amidst the main story’s chaos. It centers around the interaction of Nightwing, Azrael, and Batgirl as they briefly cross paths. It’s a lot of fun to see the history between Nightwing and Azrael alluded to as they butt heads. Nightwing is slow to trust Azrael and not without good reason. Azrael is an uneasy ally in the best of times, often succumbing to his programming and going on crusades of bloody vengeance. It’s hard to imagine the two making peace on their own, but thankfully Batgirl is there to mediate. Cassandra Cain has had an understated but vital presence throughout this run. In some ways, she’s the embodiment of Batman’s new philosophy of accepting one’s darkness. Raised to be a killer, but still managing to choose a path to protect others, she’s been the heart of the Bat-family, reminding them that it’s never a mistake to give others a second chance. Thanks to her, the tension between Nightwing and Azrael goes from bordering on violence to light bantering. They may never be friends, but in this moment, they can at least be allies.
This arc is called Crescendo and it’s living up to it’s title because it just keeps getting more intense. Who’s to say what will be left when the smoke clears? As always, this book is absolutely fantastic. I certainly wouldn’t start with this issue, but if you’ve been reading up to this point, you belong in Arkham if you decided to stop now. This run is history in the making as the Bat-Opera approaches its climax.
The Six Fingers #5 written by Dan Watters with art by Sumit Kumar
This is it, the final issue of The Six Fingers and, by extension, the dual narrative shared by The One Hand. The issue opens with Ada in a police station being interrogated by Ari’s partner Mac. She’s not sure exactly what happened to Johannes, but the police are still on his trail. He’s broken the narrative of the city and it’s twisting itself into familiar shapes as it tries to slow him down. It’s final attempt is a strike against Johannes’ core and it may be what finally pushes him over the edge. It’s become clear that, as far as the city is concerned, most lives are disposable and free for the city to manipulate as it pleases. We’ve seen hints of that throughout both books, but it’s said most explicitly here. If the final issue of The One Hand was about the motive behind all these machinations, this issue is about understanding the means. Ari’s world was a shadowy one where nothing was as it seemed and Ari appeared to be the only thing we could be sure was real. On the other hand, Johannes world is brighter. Whether it’s actually real or not, it feels real. Of course, everything that’s real must come to an end. In fact, it may very well be that an ending is what makes it real in the first place. As the book comes to a close and the cipher is completed, it’s unclear what lies in the hearts of those who hear its message. This is the book of means, not of motive and without motive, who’s to say who the heroes and villains of this story really were? Even in that final scene, it’s impossible to tell who was a victim and who was saved. There may not be a correct answer. If these two books have taught me anything, it’s that everything is a matter of perspective.
As always, Sumit Kumar does amazing work on this book. One thing in this issue that particularly stood out to me was the way he’s able to convey emotions through the characters’ eyes. Most of these characters are fairly stoic people not prone to emoting, but nothing of their feelings are hidden from us as we can see Ada’s growing despair and Johannes’ uncertainty giving way to rage, all conveyed by their eyes. And, of course, there’s the final scene of this book. Kumar is shouldering the weight of not just ending The Six Fingers but The One Hand as well and he more than rises to the occasion with a final scene that encapsulates everything these books have been building towards.
How long has it been since a mystery has hooked me so effectively? What we have here is not just a compelling mystery, but a narrative that can only be told by pushing the boundaries of comics as a medium. Now that both books are complete, I can wholeheartedly recommend both. They are destined to become timeless classics and any fan of mysteries, sci-fi, or comics is going to be absolutely floored by these masters redefining everything.