Indie Comics Review: Commanders in Crisis #8

by Carl Bryan
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Review: Commanders in Crisis #8

 

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Steve Orlando

Artist: Davide Tinto

Colorist: Francesca Carotenuto

Letterer: Fabio Amelia

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

 

Summary

“”There is nothing in hatred worth studying.” – Prizefighter

The last survivors of the Multiverse live among us under new, super heroic identities, five survivors of doomed worlds…taking a second chance to ensure our world lives on.

A new twist on strange superhero comics, COMMANDERS IN CRISIS follows in the footsteps of Doom Patrol and Thunderbolts as five unexpected heroes come together to solve a murder unlike any other. The victim? Compassion itself…This is “ideacide”!

Commanders in Crisis #8 — Despite the Crisis Command’s best efforts, reality is turning more toxic by the day.

While Prizefighter runs with American Dreamer, Seer investigates the hidden origins of masked heroism.

Can the Crisis Command learn fast enough to stop the Extinction Society from pushing Earth past the point of no return

Positives

Steve Orlando’s writing continues to get stronger as the heroes are paired off in this issue to confront some baggage of learning more truths about themselves and embracing their weaknesses to better their strengths.

Prizefighter, for example, meets a hero native to this reality, American Dreamer.

At first, Prizefighter is defensive and doubles down on his exploits despite this world teetering even closer to extinction. But once he stops shielding his ego, Prizefighter admits his mistakes in his home reality.

The two of them take a different literal journey of discovery through a blend of science and magic that brings them to a maze-like pocket universe, and a new enemy. Through battling that enemy, American Dreamer and Prizefighter understand the nature of hatred and death embedded within the Extinction Society.

Frontier and Thunder Woman continue their quest to resurrect empathy. They travel to prehistoric man’s discovery of fire to learn more about how beings from the Lightning World – where ideas themselves live as godlike entities – descend to humanity.

Sawbones, Originator, and Seer were kind of background this issue, but like any ensemble comic, you have to spread the script around a bit.

By Orlando separating these heroes, it provides the pause he needs before the bigger battle that will ensue.  It also affords him to flex his philosophy as he is a very deep writer.

Positives (more…)

I continue to applaud the craft of Davide Tinto and Francesca Carotenuto – their lines are clean, their colors are vivid, and the frames are perfect for this comic.  They tell a story within a story, and they work so well with Orlando’s script!  This art is reminiscent of Dan Jurgens’ era of Superman versus Doomsday.  The character drawings are very precise…to the point that younger readers may pause.  More to come on that statement.

Negatives… but not really

Not exactly a negative, but Image is the playground Steve Orlando needs.  His writing outlet is both philosophical as well as very sexual.  That is not a bad thing, but instead an applause for Image for allowing Orlando to be very inclusive and equitable in his work.

Again, not a negative per se, but it is a moment to pause if a younger reader is interested in new heroes and is not familiar with Orlando’s work in this arena.  The characters he has now developed have rings of familiarity to them to other heroes in other companies.

Thus far, the nudity has been story line driven, and it is precise.  This is a very adult comic in terms of philosophy and art, so young readers need to know what they are putting in their hands (or rather parents do).

 

Verdict

The issues get better and better.  The story line gets stronger and stronger.  Go back and purchase issues 1-7.   You’ll be glad you added this to the collection!  Again, note that the script continues to get deep and thought provoking, the art pushes the edges in story telling and the colors are as vivid as any comic produced.  Image has a hit on its hands.

 

5outof5 DC Comics News

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