One last song!
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Sandy Jarrell
Colors: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letterer: Wes Abbott
What They Say:
The Bombshells dive into a deadly volcanic lair, while the agents of Apokolips arrive!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Digging into the events that have been unfolding has been a lot of fun with the twists and turns combined with the uncertainty of who is behind things. While I imagine there may be some limits at times as to who Marguerite Bennett can use in the book she has so many characters to play with that there are many options. This issue is one that gives us some welcome reveals but it’s also one where I think Sandy Jarrell and Kelly Fitzpatrick put in some utterly fantastic work. I’ve long enjoyed Jarrell’s work on this property but seeing his interpretation of Big Barda here and some of the attack moves – and that big spread page in digital form that we get here – just delights with how he lays out everything.
The team as it stands now, whittled down a bit in trying to find out more clues about what’s going, has lead them to the volcano where everything is going to be answered. It’s a classic kind of sequence in a lot of ways as they make their way in and discover the crystal outcropping within that’s providing a kind of twisted nature to the words coming from the choir around it. With the volcano walls providing greater amplification to the world, it’s an ideal place from which to twist the minds into your design. When Batgirl sees that Nygma is here she practically runs off to deal with him herself after their last encounter, particularly with Rhakotis there as well. But the real problem here, the “gentle lady” behind the scenes? Granny Goodness in a classic 40’s grandmother role as opposed to how we usually see her.
The thought of Apokolips mixed up in things isn’t a surprise as a big bad to deal with and the Bombshells have plenty to deal with considering the size of the choir here and not wanting to hurt them as opposed to the leadership side. What makes things ever so much fun, however, is that Dinah’s able to call for help and bring in Big Barda to go up against Granny. This provides for some good connectedness and a nod to Kimiyo with what happened previously, but it’s the way it unfolds that just captures me. Sandy Jarrell does some great stuff here with Barda in her outfit and how she skates around, which gives it a neat flow to the action. But that final page with its two panels in design and in the striking color that Kelly Fitzpatrick brings to it just has it standing out as something utterly modern in its vibrancy but also recalling of the old four color world of simpler days past. I spent my time writing just keeping that page up in another window and admiring it because it’s just so great, right down to how Granny is illustrated.
In Summary:
As this arc moves towards its crescendo, it hits a big note here with how it ends with some strong buildup just before it. The Bombshells have some good moments as they investigate and piece things together but it shifts big time into Big Barda after that and rightly so – for the moment. She’s able to go toe to toe with the Gentle Lady character and there’s lots more to deal with beyond that as it progresses. It’s a solid story installment but a great artwork installment as Jarrell and Fitzpatrick deliver a great looking book that just gets more and more exciting as it goes along.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: March 23rd, 2018
MSRP: $0.99
