Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Pop Mhan
Colorists: Loven Kindzierski and Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Cover Art: Julian Totino Tedesco
Assistant Editor: Michael McCalister
Group Editor: Marie Javins
Ship's Vampire: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: October 24, 2018
Before we get into the review, I want to once more lament the loss of Sassycat Merlin's "Grrrrrrrl" catchphrase.
I had hoped the last few issues were a fluke... but, it's looking more and more like it's lost to the ages... and back-issue bins.
If you were buying this issue in the hopes of hearing a "Grrrrl"... well, I've got some bad news for you.
If you would've told me six months ago that I'd come to miss the days where every Raven story had to do with her father being Trigon the Terrible... I'd have said you were insane. I'd also be positively shocked that this maxi-series was actually still a thing that shop owners placed on their shelves once a month! But... here we are. Raven and the Night Force... or, would that be Night Force (feat. Raven). Whatever the case, the cover promises betrayal... which, well... doesn't appear to happen here!
What we do manage to get this issue is the true history of the Shadow Riders... there's a bit of a twist, and our preconceptions are played with a tad... however, it's unfortunately just not all that interesting.
There is an attempt to bring in a measure of conflict for Night Force's mission... a bit of ambiguity as to whether or not they are actually in the right in battling the Shadow Riders. Like I said though, it's just not all that interesting. The fact that we have three more issues of this only compounds the dreariness.
We do get to meet Black Alice, and learn a thing or two about her... but only just. She can steal (temporarily, I'm assuming) powers of her fellow Arcanes... which drops Raven in to a... temporary sticky-wicket, all so she can return to Wintersgate and accuse Baron Winters of being... get this... untrustworthy! Where have you been for the past eight issues Raven?! Baron Winters has always been an slippery a-hole! This should not be a shock... and, if you're following along, it feels like we're reading the same scenes over and over again.
While on the subject of the Baron... his dialogue comes across a little on the young side. Rather than speaking like a wizened old magician (or whatever the hell he is), he seems to be trying to act like the "hip dad" (or hip grandfather, in this case). From last issue's "swipe right" reference, to his irritating snark all throughout this issue, it's a bit much.
On the bright side, we do appear to be heading toward a climax... though, with the fast and loose way this series has handled climaxes... I'm half expecting the next issue to start off without paying a single thing off.
Bits and Pieces:
Believe it or not, we get some story progression... even if it isn't all that interesting. There is a brief nod to Raven's private life to remind us that this is her book. Art remains strong.
4.5/10
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