Is this a fight for humanity or a tyrant not knowing when to surrender?
Creative Staff:
Writer: Joe Brusha
Artwork: Sean Hill
Colors: Marco Lesko
Letters: Matt Krotzer
What They Say:
As the Hellions victory over the evil New Gods mounts they fail to realize how truly ruthless their enemy is…because if the New Gods can’t rule the earth than they don’t plan on leaving it around for anyone else to rule it either. If the humans won’t be happy to exist as willing slaves, Chaos will make sure they become extinct.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
The Hellions, humanity’s last hope for freedom have fallen thanks to the thirst of Chaos, the power hungry tyrant who has Earth in its last death throes. The moon has been shattered, millions of people lie dead beneath the ruins of the world’s cities and now his allies search for what is left of the resistance. While Tillman may have won Olympus over to their side, what hope can they have as long as that madman has his wife and children? Megan and Beth are trying to protect his family, but when Anubis and Zyana find their hiding place, all hope seems lost … until the speedster deity and Derek come to the rescue. The jackal faced imitator easily falls beneath the swift feet of their new ally, but it only through the sacrifice of General Spencer that they are able to pacify the Amazonian huntress. And now the only one who remains is the maniacal leader of the New Gods … Chaos.
He reclines in his throne, a survivor of the chosen who invaded Earth a few months ago, and now he is the only one left. His anger is tangible, arrogance in his own power is palpable, matched by the self assurance that he will win no matter what these pitiful humans may attempt in their defense. Even if they have Olympus by their side, these remnants of the E.V.L. program will fail and he will be the last standing, victorious over a barren planet. Drunk from his sadistic demeanor, Chaos gloats from his fated triumph and grasps his fellow divine in a loving embrace, determined to make this battle his last. While they share a mutual hatred, it is this demented leader who plans for a final destruction of all, allowing the pitiful humans a moment before he shatters the world. But will he succeed in this grand scheme or is their another option – one in which his ego never contemplated and which will allow for the survival of humanity? One can only hope …
In Summary:
E.V.I.L. Heroes is at an end and writer Joe Brusha does not hold any punches. However, at the same time, there are so many cliché events that your average reader would have predicted what happens before the final page. Since we knew Olympus became a turncoat from the last issue, the opportunity of using him against Chaos was obvious, therefore supplying an ending which practically wrote itself. And as the oldest of all platitudes faithfully states, we of course observe that the Bad Guys never win – so, what else could have happened to this story? But the worst part of all was the lack of gratification: This was supposed to be a narrative about human bravery, ingenuity and determination, and yet, Brusha gives us something that left an empty hole in the underdog story. Why go through all the trouble of evolving the team to fight an unstoppable foe and then, whiff … nothing but smoke when we have the final confrontation. What was the build up in the previous five issues if he knew this was how it was going to end from the start?
However much the story fails, it is Sean Hill’s amazing artwork which was the highlight for the series and Marco Lesko’s inspirational control of the palette which drew us into this sinister world. The attention to detail is phenomenal as they leave no element unattended, making the reader hate the New Gods with their ruthless actions magnified by the boldness of the colors, down to Chaos’ glowing red eyes – pure unadulterated evil. All of the primal anger made the humans seem even more pitiful than they were depicted within the pages, but at the same time, those concepts also made their struggle the more appealing, thus making the finale that much more disappointing. This is a prime example of how bad direction can ruin what could have been a blockbuster of a movie, which is a shame since the cinematography is what made this series worth reading in the first place.
E.V.I.L. Heroes on the surface seemed like a noble idea which so many publishers have attempted in the past: What would happen if heroes became drunk from their power? However the execution of the concept fell short due to the overabundance of so many elements which were ruthlessly ripped from other companies and then used without even trying to disguise their prior sources. The failure began as it started and it only became worse as it sped along, adding ever more ideas which readers would recognize but attempted to ignore just in a vain effort to enjoy the narrative. And while the story was satisfying at times, when we finally reached the finish line – it falls short, leaving us unsatisfied due to the speed in which it raced headlong to an anticipated finale. We saw the wall, tried to swerve to avoid a collision and then … the car runs out of gas. I wish it could have been better compiled, but sometimes is it better to stop than to suffer the agony of a meaningless victory.
Grade: C
Series Grade: D+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: March 22, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
