Skybound/Image Comics 2014
Created & Written by Joshua Williamson
Created & Illustrated by Andrei Bressan
Coloured by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
OH SNAP! Well Joshua I’m not quite sure how you do it but damn you took us there this issue! I do wholeheartedly believe that this is among the best of the best on stands today hands down. The characterization, the story itself and the pacing of it all is consistently amazing and each issue just seems to raise the bar from the one prior. Along with Andrei and Adriano’s visualization of this world and of Terranos this has become one of my absolute joys to read.
Finally we see Aaron again, i’ve missed this hunky dads involvement in what’s going on. With his limited time with Mikey he still manages to dream of his son and being there for him in ways he wasn’t able to. Even if he does wake up in a jail cell and Agent Kylen is there to try and bully him into helping, I can’t use coerced because it’s more bullying and it makes a stronger case that Agent Kylen isn’t what he appears to be.
In Chicago the boys are off in search of another of the exiled mages Sameal. I have to say Brennan is coming along and turning into a smart, capable and intuitive young man and his growth as a character under these circumstances is wonderful to see. That he can have faith in his brother but also question what’s happening and stop and try to make Mikey answer his questions and not give up or into the bullying or deflection is amazingly well done. He’s on this quest with him and has a right to have answers to his questions only with Mikey being tainted it’s harder for him to justify what he’s doing to Brennan. So that we see such a conflict amidst what I consider brotherly love really is among some of the strongest characterization around.
Rya and Wendy, mom, flying around yeah that’s some fun stuff too. Let’s face it Wendy was dead set that Mikey wasn’t her son then started snooping through his stuff and began to realize differently when a very pregnant Rya came to her dispelling any theory she had against it all. That these two women may prove to be more than anyone can handle on Earth well that’s kind of awesome. Plus it never hurts to know the woman carrying your grandchild. Though it does seem like she’s ready to pop and fighting contractions so what complications will that bring is anyone’s guess.
I have to say that when the boys meet Sameal you think it’s the perfect moment for a cliffhanger ending. Only Joshua has outdone himself with the next part! We don’t have a timeframe for what happens on Terranos but what we see here and learn, basically what we know but they are finally confirming about Mikey and the Lore, and their plans from there on. Well it’s one of those true WTF moments that makes things so much more crystal clear in certain regards.
Holy Amazeballs people this just can’t any better, yet it always does. If these fine folks don’t get nominated for a slew of awards for their work on this series then there is no justice in the world.