Monday, July 22, 2013

1st Impression: Harbinger #14 Review

HARBINGER # 14
Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Khari Evans, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano & Ian Hannin
Valiant Comics


FLIPPING THROUGH:

                Harbinger # 14 chronicles what happened at the end of Harbinger Wars to our favorite group of Renegades as well as details the finale of Harada’s first war with Project: Rising Spirit. Back in 1969, we find just how deep Rising Spirit went in order to gain powers of Psiots. And how that conflict changed Harada profoundly enough to make sure that psiot business was kept under wraps.

                Meanwhile, in the present, we see the battle with Bloodshot and the military through the eyes and narrative of Faith. Faith chronicles the fall of the Renegades as well as parts of the finale of Harbinger Wars … yet also shows exactly what happened to Faith  … which was not seen in Harbinger Wars # 4.

ART:

                Hairsine and Evans make these pages pop out in this finale to the Harbinger Wars tie-ins. We get some very strong panel work from both artists, making sure that each panel is dynamic in its own way. Hairsine’s rough pencils work in the past while the smoother touch of the present is seen with Evan’s fine pencils. Great use of back grounds and imagery as every scene kept showing more and more eye popping moments. And Gaudiano’s inks makes sure both art fit well for the book. Nothing felt out of place and the two styles did not affect the book’s flow at all.

                Hannin’s colors really charge up all the art work, giving us deeper shadows in the past to talk about that very dark period while Las Vegas was brighter and a bit more optimistic, which fit the mood and tone of the story at that point.

WRITING:

                Dysart writes a perfect climax to the Harbinger War tie-in stories that have been happening in Harbinger. The use of Faith this issue with the present day story was profound as she used actual existing properties to convey how out of their element the group was during the final battle. The insanity this issue seem a bit easier to take because of Dysart’s masterful narrative of Faith.  The emotions of the cast were masterfully conveyed and Dysart made sure that while the narrative was Faith, we still saw all the emotions on the rest of the Renegades.

                The 1969 story with the origins of the Harada/Rising Spirit conflict came to a very shocking, intense and plot twisting conclusion that intergrates itself well to the events of Harbinger Wars. We know why Harada is the way he is. We know the origins of Rising Spirit. Developing Harada further has made him into a Magneto level/like kind of villain now. He wants to do good for his people but he will commit autrocities to do so … yet, Dysart twists that by showing what would happen if Harada was completely like Magneto … the open conflict taking lives of people he loved. It deepened the story and over all progressed well.

                Really exquisite writing from Dysart.

OVER ALL IMPRESSION:

                This issue had a little bit of everything in a nice bow.  And it did not insult the readers by showing us everything that occurring in Harbinger Wars # 4 the same way. The 1969 story came to a dramatic, thought-proving  and very agreeable conclusion while the present day narrative gave us the final fate of Faith and just the overall love of the character by Dysart and her importance to the Renegades as a group.

                The art was amazing. The pacing was perfect.


RATING:

                I believe this is the first time I give Harbinger this high of a score but I will give Harbinger #14 a 10 … out of 10


.

No comments:

Post a Comment