First off I’m letting you know that this is a spoiler-free review. If you haven’t read the issue yet, fear not you will not have it spoiled for you. I’m basically going to skip telling you what the issue is about and instead give you my thoughts and feelings on the content. I guess that makes this a Spoiler-Free Warning. We know what’s happening in the story and basically everyone that’s reading this series knows that a Renegade is going to die in this issue. For reals, no bring backs or comic booking of any sorts. This is the Renegades versus Harada and it’s one of the best issues of the series.
Joshua Dysart brings his A+ game for this issue. The characters are spot on. The narrative is spot on. The twists and turns of the story are fucking incredible. The death is meaningless, but then all death is. That’s one of the points Dysart is making with the death. The impact that the death has on the team is where the meaning and value comes from and he illustrates that in the narrative and the way the characters respond. What’s more gut wrenching is that Dysart allows the reader a moment to get over their loss, only to reopen the wound and make it deeper by the end. But because of that, because of the structure of the story… it’s some incredible storytelling.
Clayton Henry and Khari Evans are by far my favorite artists on Harbinger. They both have key roles in the storytelling and it works to have two artists due to the structure Dysart’s story. There’s another reason as well, but I can’t say it in fear that some clever reader will know what I mean and have the death spoiled for them. Henry and Evans deliver the emotion. They make you choke up while reading and you’ll thank them for it.
I wish I could say more, but that would be cruel. With so much hype around this issue, so much build up, I was afraid it wouldn’t deliver… but it did. That’s actually a lot harder to do than you’d think. What has a greater difficulty is exceeding expectations… and it did that as well. Every issue is someone’s first so why not start here? It’s one of the best issues of the series so far.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Joshua Dysart Artists: Clayton Henry with Khari Evans Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/28/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital