[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Script: Magdalene Visaggio
Pencils & Inks: Sonny Liew
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Summary
On Earth, Caroline believes she’s done something terrible by destroying her former boss’s house and expects to be in big trouble. In space with Madam Atom, she has yet to do the terrible thing, but as her reality begins to come together, she realizes the extent of her powers and makes what is certain to be a fateful decision.
Sloan refuses to press charges and tells the responding officers to destroy any notes and forget anything happened. “It’s an internal matter!” But, Sloan is hiding something and he calls in another Alpha 13 agent- Never Man, Rick Rex. Caroline calls Dani to apologize and confess what happened with Sloan’s house. Dani ends up being more freaked out than ever and rushes over to check on Caroline.
In Space, Madam Atom continues to explain the way the Universe works in a constant cycle of death and rebirth, and the only way to stop it is to end everything. They’ve already destroyed Astrolas, so now all that’s left is to reach the Shining Tower and activate the Chaos machine. Unbeknownst to them, there are other forces at work- Order and Chaos, and the embodiment of those states are concerned that what’s about to happen will annihilate existence, yet their view of things is blocked. They can only sense that Astrolas is dead and the Shining Tower is now left unguarded, and this is dangerous.
As Madam Atom has convinced Chrysalis (Caroline) that she has the power of nuclear fission in her cells, Sloan reveals the same secret to Rick Rex, who he has tasked with stopping her. However, just as Dani arrives at Caroline’s apartment, Caroline has learned the same truth and as in space with Madam Atom, she is ready to use her newly discovered ability on the top of her apartment building.
Positives
The fate of the Universe is an adequately measured high stake. Eternity Girl may seem to be the villain in this tale, or at least the anti-hero. Caroline’s predicament doesn’t make it feel that way. Despite the fact that Madam Atom seems to be leading her astray, Madam Atom’s plan seems to solve Caroline’s problems. While the destruction of the Universe should never be the solution to anything, the way it’s presented it certainly feels right for Caroline.
This title asks the reader to expand his or her perception of narrative and metaphor. How many people in our own world feel lost like Caroline and want to end everything just to make sense of the confusion and feeling of displacement.
Negatives
The only thing that could possibly perceived as a negative is the multiple realities shown in this series. Clearly, as a quantum being, Caroline experiences her life differently than a normal human would. This allows her to experience many times or places at the same time. While this is an exciting concept that provides unique storytelling opportunities, it can seem somewhat confusing. In the big picture, this is fairly minor as long as the reader is able to distinguish what Caroline experiences as her current present. That does not mean that she isn’t experiencing more than one current present.
Verdict
This book has a unique approach to storytelling which is both challenging and rewarding. It is necessary in order for the reader to truly understand what Caroline is experiencing. The multiple plot lines create a complex story that will undoubtedly provide a surprising payoff. However, the journey is just as rewarding, which places this title on a higher tier than most comics.
