The Good
I am such a fan of Bernard Chang's art on this issue: I think it compliments Robert Venditti's story perfectly. The detail of Chang's work in the battle scenes where we see an army of brave and fallen warriors within the very first few pages of the issue is detailed and really well done. Chang does not forget the importance of depicting emotions in the expressions of his characters. His Vandal Savage exudes an air of cockiness that is just so him, and his Amazon warriors in the few pages that follow are illustrated as brave, noble warriors all in a row. I love the flow of this story, the way that the dialogue, characters and the art capture you as a reader and suck you into this fantasy world -- it is all so well done.
The famous sayings "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" come to mind while reading this issue. Both sides resent one another (Exoristos, Xanadu, etc. versus Vandal Savage and his warriors). While all of this excitement is going on, Venditti manages to inject a bit of light-hearted humor to his story at just the right moments (Brickwedge the horse has some funny little one-liners). The result is a great story that really flows naturally, and is very easy to read. It features a cast of characters that are interesting and dialogue that is just fantastic. The interactions of these characters is a huge part of what makes the reading experience so entertaining, and this is something that has been consistent since Venditti took over writing duties of this series.
Meanwhile, while things on earth are looking grim for our hero's, the will of Jason Blood is put to the test. I really enjoyed the way that Venditti splits his story by bringing Jason into the fold, cutting away at just the right moment in order to maintain the momentum of his story telling. The result is fantastic, and the way Venditti brings both pieces of the story together is done easily and with such grace, it is really very impressive. Merging Jason's moments with the main storyline is done really well.
The Bad
I loved everything about this issue, from the dialogue, to the story, to the characters: everything about it is fantastic. No complaints from me here. My only complaint is that by the end of the story we don't see much of Vandal Savage's resentment and hatred for Jason Blood resurface, and I hope that this is addressed in the next issue.
The Verdict
What a fantastic issue this is: just when I thought this series couldn't get any better, it does. The characters are interesting, the story is compelling and the dialogue will keep you consistently entertained throughout. And how could I not mention the absolutely breathtaking art by Bernard Chang? The pencils are well done and the colors vibrant, complimenting the story we see here really beautifully. The result is an all-around fantastic issue that will leave you at the edge of your seat and totally enthralled in the excitement; especially if you have been reading the series since the start of Venditti's run.
The fight sequences and panels are very well executed, and the end will pull on the heart strings of fans of a certain character. The story shifts easily and we are given a clue at the very end as to the direction that Venditti will take this tale and these characters, and that is something I am definitely looking forward to.
This issue is a decent jumping on point for new readers because it closes one chapter, while simultaneously hinting at what the c