Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North The Victories is one of my favorite comics right now for the simple reason that I rarely, if ever know what to expect. And because when that curveball is thrown at me, I know it will be something I really enjoy. It’s like having a comic writing voyeur following me at all times, taking notes and then slaps together a twenty-some page collage of the shit I love to see in comic books. A sense of humor? Check. Realism in the behaviors and thoughts of the heroes? Check. Ultra-violence? Oh yeah. This book just... does it for me.

Of the “Transhuman” story arc, this issue may be the best yet. Broken into three parts the pace of this issue is relentless and relentlessly fun.

The first part with D.D Mau lets us into a little niche of the superhero world I'd thought about and maybe seen depicted a bit, but never fully seen realized in a comic book. Everyone knows what it feels like when you think you got your job down pat and then the A-team shows up, we've seen it in cop shows a million times when the FBI has to steps in and “handle a case” leaving the police wondering who these tight assed know-it-alls think they are. This was that, but in tights. Funny stuff. To top it all off the more super of the superheroes couldn’t really be there so they had to be projected via hologram like, 50 feet high, literally making them larger than life. *slow clap*

But the real meat and potatoes of the book was in the middle chunk where Victories leader Metatron—having been haunted for days by strange dreams and visions is drawn to a shack in the Ozarks where waiting are The Advisors, a group of men who were dedicated to creating the perfect life forms using the secrets of the golden ratio. Let me just say Michael Avon Oeming and Nick Filardi do spectacular work here, taking what could easily be a simple and straightforward flashback sequence and turning it into a damned work of art. Color syncs up with tone syncs up with abstract penciling to produce a really cool scene. Who would have thought of the panel with the exploding house? Not me. But I’m glad we have mad men that can. As a matter of fact while we're singing Oeming's praises I’d like to speak to his ability to come up with grounded and totally original lore. It’s hard to find these days, with so many comics taking on the “wacky ridiculousness as originality” philosophy. Kudos.

Finally we have the bit with the Jackal which is really nothing more than a bit of a goofy post-script illustrating just what the Jackal is all about. Peeing on walls, cursing out airport patrons and brandishing insane amounts of guns. What I like about the character is how much fun he is next to some of the other more dismal characters. And the fact that they can even exist in the same universe at all. Also the fact that, as insane as the Jackal is, riding onto the scene on the underside of an 18 wheeler, he doesn't seem to have any powers at all. Badass. And then he runs into Tarcus... it’s been nice knowing you Jackal, a lot of laughs.

Buy these comic books if you have a pulse.

Score: 5/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Michael Avon Oeming

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: 7/3/13