Oh how I wish this issue had released sooner. I know the creative team was working on the Punisher for Marvel (a series I still have read), but if this issue had released just after the fifteenth issue it would have been an amazing ending to the story. Because that’s the thing about this issue, it feels like an ending. I know the creators said they weren’t ending it, but it’s hard not to feel that way with the conclusion of this issue and fact that it’s taken this long for an issue to release.
The story itself is tremendous. There’s a character death that I won’t spoil for you, but it honestly the impact of the death was lost on me because I had forgotten the voices of the characters. I knew what was happening in the story and even the ending made sense to me as it was a call back to the first issue. Hell if anything it made the first issue make more sense which actually made me like this issue more.
But the delay. I hate to say it but not every book can take an extended leave and come back and pick up right where it left off. Were the characters off a bit? I don’t know, because I couldn’t remember what their personalities were like and that’s something that was very important in the previous issues.
All that aside it’s still an action packed issue while the impact of certain events may have been diminished due to time, I was still effected by them on an emotional level. I would say that’s a success of the writing alone.
The artwork of course is great. Gerads’ style is photo realistic which has always helped this series because it’s important for a military story to feel real, to look real and sell you on the world. Gerads definitely does that and manages to keep the action clean and easy to follow.
Overall this issue is really good, faults aside and really those faults only stand out because of the shipping schedule. It’s a bit pricey, but for the page count it’s worth it for long time readers of the series. New readers should probably start with the next issue or just back at the beginning. Also kudos to Edmondson for working in the tagline for the series into the issues dialogue.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Nathan Edmondson Artist: Mitch Gerads Publisher: Image Comics Price: $4.50 Release Date: 12/17/14 Format: Print/Digital