The Terrifics #26 Review

Never Trust the Hype Man

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Sergio Davila, Vicente Cifuentes, and Protobunker
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 11, 2020

While I wasn't a big fan of the Terrifics when Jeff Lemire was writing it as a partial spoof of the Fantastic Four, I did like the roster a bunch.  So, when Gene Luen Yang jumped on, I was excited about what he would do.  Of course, the Year of the Villain stuff, while good, didn't feel like he was getting to tell his own story.  Since then, however, things have been interesting, and the "choose your own adventure" #25 had that charm that I love from Yang.  Unfortunately, the book is ending at issue #30, but we still have a couple of issues to tie things up, at least.   So, is this issue a good start to the end?   Let's find out...



The issue opens with Simon Stagg pondering his mortality and the little time he has left.  I am not a huge Stagg fan (I mean, he isn't the most likable guy, but that's his thing), but I never want to see anyone go through what he is dealing with at the moment.  Well, it seems like he may have an out, but if I were him, I'd take a look at the messengers and think this through.

We then head to Mr. Terrific, the Terrifics, and Stagg unveiling their new rapid transit to Gateway City.  You have to laugh at Staggatron, who is the greatest hype-man (hype-robot?) since Flavor Flav!  Plus, as a personal note, I had to smile a bit at the transport that resembles the PRT at my alma mater, West Virginia University.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony (the ribbon is Metamorpho, and the scissors are Plastic Man, by the way!), the transports zip off for their maiden voyages.  Just let me tell you, the art in this issue is outstanding, including Protobunker's awesome colors.  It may not be a "wow moment," but the full-page spread of the Terrifics watching the transport head off was a nice touch.

After seeing that Plastic Man and Metamorpho don't trust Staggatron or Stagg, we get our big disaster of the issue.  The transport that Stagg, Luke, and a bunch of other people were riding in came back to the station empty.  Not only that, but there were claw marks in the holo construct!  Thus begins the mystery of who and what caused it.

I am not going to say that the mystery is mind-bending or even has a lot of twists and turns.  That's not what's going on here.  Gene Luen Yang focuses on teamwork and family, and the real mystery is how the Terrifics will eventually save the day.  We do get cool science and tech stuff as the team makes like Tron (sadly, no Light Cycles) and enters Cyber Mode to look for clues.  It leads to the obvious culprits, a big battle and the idea that things are darker than just the surface level stuff is suggesting.

The best thing about the issue, though, is the reveal of who Mr. Terrific has been in contact with for a bit now.  I love the characters, I love the name of their team, and I even love the "next:" text.  

While this issue is a whole bunch of setup, and the mystery isn't much of a secret, Gene Luen Yang's pacing and plotting are impeccable.  He also proves once again, he can juggle a team book with ease, and while seeing yet another team showing up might have me worried with some other writers, it only has me excited.  It's a shame that this book didn't see well enough to continue, especially since Yang took over, because it is excellent.

Bits and Pieces:

Gene Luen Yang gives readers a little mystery that leads to a massive cliffhanger.  The Terrifics is a fun, solid comic book with great art, and there aren't enough of those going around these days.  Give it a shot.

8.5/10