Written by Aaron Gillespie, Scott Snyder
Illustrated by V. Ken Marion
Published by DC Comics
“… It’s… too late…
…The power… it’s in you…
…but you squander it… “
You know, I’m not exactly sure what to make of this latest issue of New Challengers.
It’s fun, it’s wild, it’s jammed-packed with action.
It’s also a little… nuts. And not just in the obvious ways.
There’s just a bit too much going on that doesn’t exactly track.
Again, besides the obvious coming back from the dead to be conscripted into a mind-bending war against a legion of mummified fanatics intent on reconstructing the skeleton of a long dead giant cosmic god at the heart of Challengers Mountain in order to remake reality, premise.
Which mind you, I’m totally on board with. But even with all that, there’s stuff happening in this issue and with our heroes that is definitely… odd. Extraordinary even.
Given everything else, I’m going to say that there is once again a method to authors Scott Snyder’s and Aaron Gillespie’s madness. And with that said, even if the extra dose of extraordinary is something we still have to get used to, it appears that the Challengers are quickly moving beyond that point.
The results of which, are striking.
That is particularly true for our fourth team member, Bethany Hopkins, whose own back-story gets a sober workout this issue, complete with a flashy cameo from Green Arrow. By the time she steps up with the Hail Mary rescue the team needs from the Land that Time Forgot, it’s somewhat easier to accept that extraordinary can beget the even more extraordinary.
Even if we don’t entirely understand yet how. Or what the consequences of all that might be.
Guest penciler V. Ken Marion, handles all of this, like everything else in the issue like a pro. As much as I miss Andy Kubert’s signature look, I have to say that Marion, together with inker Sandu Florea and the coloring styles of Dinei Ribiero makes a great team and keep us rolling along with the action.
But where does all this leave our new quartet of Challengers? From the fire into to the frying pan, with a revelation that suggests some unpleasant truths about their relationship with those hourglass tattoos.
Seems the Prof is maybe not the only one who should be worried about an angry horde of doppelgangers.
And time is ticking.
Next time: Giant cosmic space god? Oh that giant cosmic space god.
