Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Stephen Byrne
Colors: Stephen Byrne
Letterer: Wes Abbott
What They Say:
When our heroes leave the labyrinth, they must confront the horrors Black Adam has been committing against the people of Spain.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The arrival of Black Adam, pushed into a difficult place with emotions and time running high, has set the arc underneath Spain into overdrive as he tries to recapture what was lost. That’s been the theme of this arc as it’s focused on both him as well as Kate and Renee to good effect from Marguerite Bennett. While we had a few overlong diversions along the way it’s largely worked out well – especially in a marathon reading session. Continuing from last issue, Stephen Byrne is back on art duties for this issue and I’m still feeling largely the same in that it looks like a great animated adventure but Black Adam has lost all the power and sense of being imposing that had been built up previously, almost to the point of him looking like a Disney Prince along the way.
Adam’s being able to revive Isis was the culmination of a dream over millennia and there’s such a sense of accomplishment about him when it happens that it is moving. But at the same time it’s made clear that he’s also consumed by what was taken from him all those years ago and before even embracing the newly reborn Isis he finds himself ready to kill Jason and transfer Miri’s power into Isis so that she can reclaim it all. Miri’s interesting in all of this as she’s doing her best to keep Jason calm so that he’s not devoured by the anger that comes from this process, much like the minotaur/heretic was. But Black Adam makes it incredibly difficult to do so and the only things that really saves them at the first is that Isis is so shocked by what Adam has become, the very thing that they fought against during their life together, that her calling him out has a huge impact.
The book works through this well over the course of it while mixing in a little background action as Black Adam has to face off against everyone as the heretic is in the mix as well. Black Adam doesn’t realize that he’s losing what he’s spent all this time trying to achieve, which is undercut a bit by his boyish good looks here, but the weight of it is made far clearer through Jason and Miri’s discussions because he knows that those that came from this Lazarus Pit must forge their own paths. His words about being a bird that stayed too long into the winter and must now pass is definitely haunting and seeing how the trio come together for the next step on their delayed journey is incredibly sad to watch unfold, especially since it’s done so far with only Miri being able to react, never mind Kate and Renee or even Adam.
In Summary:
Bombshells: United is getting closer to finishing out this arc and I’m going to miss a lot of it because the emotional payoff is certainly there with so much built up for Jason and the others. This issue doesn’t give enough space for what Isis is going through and the impact on Adam, at least not yet, but what it puts into motion is strong and there’s a good chance for some mixed fallout to come from it for all involved. I definitely liked what Bennett put into the arc overall and this issue is no exception and Stephen Byrne’s artwork really makes me want an animated version to be done, just not with this version of Black Adam.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 19th, 2017
MSRP: $0.99
