Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 Comic Review

 



  • Written by: Alex Paknadel

  • Art by: Pete Woods

  • Colors by: Pete Woods

  • Letters by: Dave Sharpe

  • Cover art by: Pete Woods

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: August 28, 2024


Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5, by DC Comics on 8/28/24, focuses on the next Amazo robot of the team, Velocity, as he races to understand what makes Barry Allen tick.


Is Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 Good?

In the grand scheme of things, Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 isn't important at all to the Absolute Power event, but it is a pretty good issue if you're a Flash fan and would be interested in an Amazo robot's perspective on learning what makes Barry Allen tick. In short, it's good-ish but important. Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 begins with new reports coming in of a superspeed force racing across the globe, turning deserts to glass and puncturing the stony caps of magma fields. What's happening? The Amazo robot known as Velocity relentlessly chases the last speedster whose power it hasn't absorbed - Barry Allen, aka The Flash. Writer Alex Paknadel wastes no time jumping straight into the action by following the speedsters on their chase. So many heroes are moving around, sometimes inconsistently, so it's hard to know if Barry truly is or isn't the last speedster left, but it suits the story here. Barry makes it to the Flash Museum to reach an artifact he thinks will help, but Velocity destroys the "feather" before Barry can reach it. Velocity taps into Jai West's superstrength to get a hold of Barry, but Barry escapes by phasing through the grip and the floor, which puzzles Velocity since it has no memory of "how" to phase through objects. Here, we get to the crux of the issue. Phasing is more about feeling and wanting than a simple mechanical act, so Velocity's task of capturing Barry takes on a second objective when it tries to learn what Barry instinctively knows, which is a cool concept. Barry is out of options, so he runs fast enough to enter the Speed Force. Velocity manages to follow without realizing that leaving the Speed Force is just as complex as phasing. To solve the problem, Velocity visits echoes of Barry's memories where he learned phasing and taught phasing to a young Wally West. Eventually, Velocity "wants' his way out of the Speed Force and continues to chase Barry, but he lets up on the gas just enough to see what else he can learn from Barry. Overall, the issue will be interesting for Flash fans as a novelty issue that delves into the methods and mechanics of phasing. That said, readers who picked up this issue for its relevance to the Absolute Power event won't find anything of note. However, the issue continues with a tacked-on continuation of Steve Trevor's adventure at Gamorra Island prison with a big reveal. We catch up with Steve as he sneaks around the prison in a stolen stormtrooper uniform. At last check, he witnessed captured villains building a large Stragate-ish portal for Amanda Waller. Now, we see Waller turning on the device. Who should come through the portal? Why, it's exactly who you might expect when you consider Amanda Waller was stuck on Earth-3 very recently. (*hint, hint*) How's the Art? Excellent. Pete Woods pretty much handles all aspects except lettering, but this issue looks like it was produced by a top-tier team. The speedster action looks great, the character designs and quiet moments are all on point, and the net quality of the visuals in this issue is high. Woods did a fantastic job in this issue.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 is a fun, Flash-centered issue that teaches Velocity a thing or two about what it really means to be a Speedster. Flash fans will get a kick out of the story, but its contribution to Absolute Power is negligible. That said, the tacked-on scenes starring Steve Trevor on Gamorra Island finally lead to a big reveal about Amanda Waller's allies in this event, which makes this issue a big deal.

8/10


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Detective Comics #1088 Comic Review




  • Written by: Ram V

  • Art by: Guillem March

  • Colors by: Luis Guerrero

  • Letters by: Ariana Maher

  • Cover art by: Evan Cagle (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: August 28, 2024


Detective Comics #1088, by DC Comics on 8/28/24, puts all the heroes and villains allied with Batman against the Orghams in a battle royale for the soul of Gotham City.


Is Detective Comics #1088 Good?

Well, if you're going to go out, you might as well go out with a bang. Ram V pulls out all the stops in the second successive issue that favors action, plot movement, purpose, and direction over drawn-out, flowery, pretentious narration that goes nowhere. Somebody at DC must have lit a fire under Ram V's butt because this is the type of storytelling this run has sorely been lacking, even if it comes too late for readers who tuned out long ago.


When last we left Batman and the dark forces of Gotham in Detective Comics #1087, their attempts to sabotage the Orghams' plans began to bear fruit. However, Batman raced to defend the Orghams' true target, Commissioner Montoya. After a pitched battle with Tenclaw, aided by the well-timed arrival of allies on both sides of the law, the issue concluded with Shadow Angel's public spectacle meeting an untimely end at the hands of Duela Dent.


In Detective Comics #1088, we pick up with Duela Dent using Shadow Angel's broadcast feed to explain how the city will benefit from a new game. Namely, explosives set around the city that will only affect the poor and downtrodden areas, giving the lower-class citizens of Gotham a choice - wait for heroes to disarm the bombs or rush into the rich, affluent areas of Gotham for safety.


It's a safe bet that nobody who reads this series could have seen this coming, including Ram V, who appears to be throwing everything plus the kitchen sink at this title to make the penultimate issue of this story and his run as action-packed and chaotic as possible. Does it make sense to throw this monkey wrench in right before the finale? No, but it probably doesn't matter at this point.


Elsewhere, the Orghams are none too pleased with Duela's wrinkle. Shavhod is supposed to be on her way to the broadcast station to get the feed under control, but she runs into resistance in the form of the Ten-Eyed Man, who gives Shavhod a taste of her own mind-warping medicine.


Well, if you're going to pit an ally against an Orgham, Ten-Eyed Man is as good a choice as you could make. Their battle is brief but effective. Frankly, it feels good to see another Orgham knocked down several pegs after a too-long run of dominance.


Back at the Orghams' headquarters, Batman sets off a series of diversions to infiltrate the command center, knockout communications and power, and give Oracle an opportunity to disrupt the computer systems. Meanwhile, Neang breaks free from his icy encasement to attack Mr. Freeze again. Neang thinks his freedom means Freeze isn't prepared, but he soon finds he's wrong. Back on the streets, Two-Face continues his battle with Tenclaw, which ends when Two-Face pumps himself full of silver bullets after Tenclaw locks him up in a bear hug.


The preceding montage of vignettes showcases how the myriad of villains who've chosen to side with Batman ultimately win out against their Orgham counterparts. In fairness to Ram V, the scenes are hard-hitting, direct, and satisfying.


The issue concludes with Batman fighting one last Orgam before reaching the Thelemus Engine device. Before he can save Gotham, the entire city must resist the activation of Scarecrow's mind within the Thelemus Engine's influence.


Overall, this is another fast-paced, action-heavy issue that ties up the plethora of loose ends in Ram V's unevenly-paced run. In and of itself, the penultimate issue is reasonably entertaining, so there's hope Ram V's departure will end on a semi-high note.


Backup


We witness a great achievement. Talia Al Ghul stands before a large tank containing a strange liquid and the body of Arzen Orgham. After many years of trying, the League has perfected a synthetic Lazarus Resin, and the proof of their achievement is the resurrection of Arzen, who wishes to return to Gotham for revenge against his mother for killing him.

The return of Arzen Orgham could play into Ram V's finale, but the bigger deal of this backup by Dan Watters and Christopher Mitten is the confirmation that a synthetic Lazarus Resin now exists. Death is no longer relevant in DC... again.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts

Detective Comics #1088 is another energetic, fast-paced, purposeful issue that shows Ram V is determined to throw every plot development at the wall, tie up every loose end with a sailor's knot, and toss in the kitchen sink for good measure to make up for months of treading water. It's unclear how the finale will turn out next month, but DC is pulling out all the action stops to get there.

7.8/10


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Green Arrow #15 Comic Review




  • Written by: Joshua Williamson

  • Art by: Amanclay Nahuelpan

  • Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

  • Letters by: Troy Peteri

  • Cover art by: Phil Hester, Ande Parks, Ryan Cody (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: August 28, 2024


Green Arrow #15, by DC Comics on 8/28/24, continues the Arrow family's mission to capture Professor Ivo so they can learn how to defeat Amanda Waller's Amazo robots.


Is Green Arrow #15 Good?

One of the odder aspects of the Absolute Power event is Oliver Queen's all-in alignment with Amanda Waller, despite her clear lack of moral foundation for depowering and imprisoning powered individuals. Joshua Williamson appears to be taking steps toward demystifying Ollie's turn by hinting that he's been acting as a double agent. Is Ollie's turn a true fake out? Let's find out.


When last we left the Arrow Family in Green Arrow #14, despite warnings from Batman and the remaining refugees from Amanda Waller's sneak attack on all powered individuals, Roy Harper led the team on a covert mission to find Professor Ivo. Why? Roy hoped the team could use Ivo's knowledge to defeat the Amazo robots of Task Force VII and give the heroes a fighting chance. The team found Ivo, but Ivo was protected by a reprogrammed Tomorrow Woman, and Bright arrived to snatch up Ivo on behalf of Amanda Waller.


In Green Arrow #15, we begin with a flashback to a private meeting between Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter, where the latter gives Green Arrow a box with the key to defeat the Justice League if the need ever arose. Now, we see Ollie digging up the box from its hiding spot and calling for a Task Force transport. Unfortunately, the transport is otherwise in use by Bright on a mission that Bright says Ollie assigned to him.


Yeah, context is important here. In a previous issue, Ollie suggested to Amanda Waller and her team that collecting weapons from captured heroes and villains isn't enough if the people who created those weapons are roaming free. Although Ollie didn't specifically tell Bright to go after Ivo, Bright acted on Ollie's great observation. Further, the flashback with Martian Manhunter is the strongest hint that Ollie is planning a surprise for Waller.


The issue shifts to the Arrow family falling out of the sky during the battle with Tomorrow Woman. The members use parachute arrows to survive the fall, except Red Canary, who needs a helping hand. Tomorrow Woman hero-lands in the middle of the group to continue the brawl. Connor Hawke steps up to convince Tomorrow Woman was a hero once and could be again if she chooses to override Ivo's programming. Connor's words get through, causing Tomorrow Woman to shut down.


Admittedly, the conclusion of the fight with Tomorrow Woman is a dud. That's not to say there isn't a way to get through to Tomorrow Woman by non-violent means, but telling a woman to "calm down" probably wasn't the most progressive choice.


The Arrow team spots Waller's transport speeding off, and Ivo is nowhere to be found. Roy surmises that somebody on Waller's team snatched up Ivo, so they decide to head to the Arrow jets to give chase. Roy notices Cheshire and Lian aren't around, so he contacts them to catch up. That's when they announce they're already on the transport and moving to free Ivo.


On board the transport, Cheshire and Lian move to free Ivo while Bright isn't looking. Ivo isn't eager to go with Cheshire out of gratitude, knowing he'll be used as a pawn, regardless of who he goes with. In a surprise move, Ivo offers Cheshire a large sum of money to free him and take him where he wants to go. Even more surprising, Cheshire agrees, but before the two can escape, Bright returns to capture everyone.


The structure of the preceding scenes makes sense, but the details are odd. Cheshire has traveled a long way, literally and figuratively, to get back into the good graces of the Arrow family, so for Cheshire to quickly agree to Ivo's offer seems out of place.


Outside, the Arrow family catches up to the transport via an Arrow jet. What follows is a battle between archers and Waller's stormtroopers with jet packs, Bright arriving with hostages, forcing Roy to make a deadly choice and a last-minute assist from an uncertain ally.


Overall, Joshua Williamson delivers a high-flying issue that leans heavily on action to make the Arrow family's contribution to the Absolute Power event seem meaningful. The issue is generally fun, but the net contribution to Absolute Power is negligible except for the brief tease that Ollie has a secret plan cooking to defeat Waller.


How's the Art? Amanclay Nahuelpan's art looks great. Since Green Arrow #15 is an action-heavy issue, the weight of the issue falls to Nahuelpan to keep the scenes moving with smooth transitions and energy. Visually speaking, there are no complaints.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts

Green Arrow #15 jumps into a heavy-action issue as Roy and the Arrow family fight Tomorrow Woman and Bright for control of Ivo. Joshua Williamson's and Amanclay Nahuelpan's action-heavy issue is largely engaging, even if the net contribution to the Absolute Power event doesn't amount to anything important. 

7/10


We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media: 

Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics

If you're interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.

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As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support. 
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