Spinal Tap's speakers go up to 11. Sigh... if only our review ratings did as well.
Brian K. Vaughan's a sneaky little bastard, and I have to thank him profusely for such a fascinating, thought-provoking and clever read. He had me completely fooled with this story arc, and it turns out to be a major bit of misdirection. Vaughan throws out some pretty radical ideas about the human psyche, but what really hooks the reader is the ring of truth that permeates the dialogue and the descriptions. This issue shouldn't be read in a vacuum, though. The buildup in the previous two issues is vital for the powerful impact to be found in these pages.
Agent 711, retired from the Culper Ring, continues to hack away at Yorick's psyche, tormenting him sexually and physically. She makes him beg for what he wants -- for what he thinks she wants -- and she forever holds it out of his reach. She pushes and pushes and pushes... until she reaches the point at which she is about to kill him. Yorick, beaten down physically and psychologically, must make a difficult choice: between life and death.
Pia Guerra's simple style is remarkably effective in the storytelling here. Throughout this series, she's fostered a strong sense of reality with convincing backdrops and natural anatomy. Here, though, she isolates the two characters with minimal backgrounds, and it creates an almost surreal tone that matches the bizarre journey Yorick and 711 undertake together. Guerra has also offered up much darker artwork than usual here, and the colors reinforce that darker, tenser mood perfectly.
The most exciting thing about this issue is how it completely takes the reader by surprise. There was no way to predict the shift in direction here, but what really makes it fun is that even thought it offers a radical twist, it's still a logical one. Vaughan has been setting up this psychological plotline pretty much from the start, and the payoff after 20 issues is a big one. The only other issue that comes close to topping this one is the first in the series.
What's most engaging about this issue is Agent 711. Her intellect shines through here, but there's something oddly mysterious about the emotional distance she maintains at all times. Her mind is a finely honed tool, and it makes her an admirable figure. Still, we want to see what's behind that intellectual curtain; we want to see the emotional cogs that make her tick. And we catch a glimpse of that in the final few pages.
