Tension abounds as the reality starts to set in.
Creative Staff:
Story: Ivan Reis, Jeff Lemire
Art: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado
Colors: Marcel Maiolo
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
What They Say:
“MEET THE TERRIFICS” part three! When will this superhero team bound by dark multiversal magic ever get any privacy? It certainly won’t be today, because while Mr. Terrific feverishly works to free himself from Metamorpho, Plastic Man and Phantom Girl—but mostly Plastic Man—the team must also contend with the towering, rolling death-inferno that is the War Wheel.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Terrifics had a pretty strong first couple of issues, busy as they were, that played into some interesting ideas for how this team could work. The allusions to the Fantastic Four are easy and obvious in a lot of ways but it works and works well. Reis and Lemire are clearly having fun here, though I think they may struggle soon if the cast doesn’t turn a bit more likable. Some of the likability is helped through the artwork just in being able to take in some of the emotions from the characters but at the moment it’s only Linnya that really feels like a character that you can connect with well enough that’s not, well, a dick. That can be good for an opening salvo of a book but they have to start connecting sooner rather than later.
The discovery of the extent of the bond of dark universe matter that they’re connected with is certainly going to upend their lives as they’re guessing that they can’t be more than a mile apart before the energy sears through them. That’s certainly disturbing and obviously a big problem but they all go off on each other quickly (outside of Linnya) and demand that Terrific fix it. Of course, he has to use his former facilities of Stagg’s and that just makes for some complicated time there, especially since Rex’s significant other definitely comes off with a whiplash kind of personality in dealing with Rex. A lot of that is simply because of how Rex feels about him and she’s protective of her father but it’s just another level of tension on top of what the group is all feeling toward Terrific himself after their mission.
A lot of what we get here involves that kind of relationship problem material with the two of them having some rough things to work through. I really felt for Linnya the most as she wants to try and contact home to find out about her parents or pass on word but she’s so easily dismissed by Terrific since he’s focused on figuring things out that it just made him even more of a dick. Distrust in general is the name of the game here and we see a lot of that in the big action piece that takes up the back half with the “war wheel” that ends up tearing through the place and they have to try and work together. It’s a decent piece and one that you suspect has bigger meaning or hints at larger things down the line, but it just reinforced that it’s going to take a while before they’re really all firing on the same cylinder. And that’s not exactly encouraging.
In Summary:
With a touch of research toward Tom Strong in the mix and the mystery there, most of what we get in this installment is bickering or frustration. All of which is earned but it doesn’t make for the most compelling read. I’m still interested in the concept and I think the execution will smooth out a bit more in the next few issues so I’m still very much on for the ride. But amid all that’s going on I find myself primarily reading for Linnya and to see what else may come of this Tom Strong subplot as that has a sense of greater importance that could be earned. The book continues to look great, even if a touch overly busy for my tastes, and there’s a lot to like in the designs and overall layout. But the story takes a slower and less engaging pace this time around because of the general dickery of most involved.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: April 25th, 2018
MSRP: $2.99
