In SMALLVILLE: CHAOS #12, Lex’s ring soldiers have made plans that don’t involve being his henchmen, or his fall guys. But as usual, he’s one step ahead of everyone else.
The same as last week, I did not like this issue. The whole issue was anti-climactic and relatively boring. Bryan Q. Miller dropped the ball on ending out SMALLVILLE: CHAOS. The art by Agustin Padilla was just as bad as it was last week. I was really hoping that the finale would be good so that the mini-series would end on a high-note, but it was not good at all and it is very disappointing issue for everyone involved. Let’s get more in detail with the positives and negatives of SMALLVILLE: CHAOS #12.
Positives
I have two positives about this issue that I feel is worth acknowledging. The first is the scene with Lex and Otis and Lex’s Yellow Lantern Guards. Lex is damn awesome in the way he shows off how far ahead his mind and intelligence are than everyone else’s. I loved that his Plan B in case the guards acts wayward was to have a ring that controlled all the other rings. His ring did not only control the others, but it also caused all yellow rings to explode! That is just a brilliant move and it is to be expected from Lex Luthor.
The second positive I have is the cliffhanger ending to this issue. It left me wondering “What is the crisis?” I’m assuming it is the Monitors and their ambition to destroy Earth. However when I hear the word “crisis” I also think of the “Infinite Crisis” storyline. No matter which way the next mini-series go, I am on board because it looks to be like we are in for something good.
Negatives
Besides what I have stated in the Positives, the overall writing, done by Bryan Q. Miller, was really bad. With SMALLVILLE: CHAOS being over, I felt like this series was made just to be a setup for what’s to come. With that being said, I felt like in this issue, we were left with dangling stories and plot threads that was never resolved or explained. For example, what the heck was Henshaw’s plan with the Eclipso diamond? To fly it into space? It doesn’t make sense to me. Or with Lex’s story, I waited all series for a big plot and all I got was just Lex persuading the Monitors to think about rewriting the universe. So anti-climactic and just a big let down to be honest.
The artwork done by Agustin Padilla was aggravating. Characters seemed unfinished, specifically Steve Trevor. Also, his character designs were inconsistent. It was the same problem I had before with characters looking one way in one scene, then, they appear in another scene and look really different. I thought this problem occurred because there were two artists at the beginning of SMALLVILLE: CHAOS. It’s sad to see that this problem occurs even when it is just him. These last two issues has been his worst issues.
Verdict
SMALLVILLE: CHAOS #12 ends this arc in disappointing fashion. This whole series really felt like it was setup for what is to come and not its own story and plot development. With overall bad writing by Bryan Q. Miller and and bad artistry by Agustin Padilla, there’s no way i can recommend this issue. I hope in the next series, Bryan Q. Miller fixes whatever is plaguing him these last couple of issues, and find a new artist for Crisis.
Rating
