Without Judd Winick, this title has lost something, and that something is nuance. On the surface, Austen delivers a story that's fairly typical of Exiles, but the character interaction and the nature of the heroes' mission just aren't the same. Instead of frustrated, the characters come off as selfish. Instead of trying to solve a problem through compromise and sacrifice, the characters see things only in black and white, no shades of grey. And as for the new artist, Clayton Henry captures the energy and color of this unusual super-hero adventure, but the characters' emotions are somewhat lost in his more cartoony approach.
The Exiles turn up on a world where Japan is about to be destroyed, along with millions of lives in the process. Their mission: to allow it to happen, and to prevent anyone from intervening on behalf of the Japanese people. The conundrum does not sit well with the heroes, who are ticked off as it is to be without Blink and to be so far away from their homes. Meanwhile, Danny Rand, president of Heroes for Hire Inc., finally gets off his butt and sends agents to Japan to put a stop to the rampage of terrorist Moses Magnum, unaware that he and his Avengers team will have to contend with much more than Magnum's earthquake powers.
I enjoyed Clayton Henry's work on Area 52 from Image Comics a while back, and he certainly captures a sense of wonder when the title characters make their grand entrance in this issue. But there's a lighter tone in Henry's style that's not suited to the more serious and emotional tone that Austen's script strives for here. The subtlety of expression that we've seen in Mimic's face in past stories isn't to be found here, for example.
The nature of the ethical conflict that the heroes face here isn't terribly convincing, and it seems to be an oversimplified problem, with little explanation as to the consequences. Danny Rand's change of heart comes from out of nowhere as well, and it's too bad. The more cynical, cold-hearted take on the somewhat familiar super-hero was really the only thing that set him apart from his mainstream-continuity counterpart. Another awkward element in the plotting is the inclusion of Colossus. The conflict between him and Magik is just too artificial to really be convincing or dramatic.
There are moments in this issue that are entertaining, though. Austen handles Morph pretty well, and every brief glimpse we get of Sasquatch's human guise leaves me wanting more, wanting to get to know the character better. Austen also manages to convey the deadly consequences to the assault on Japan. The tragedy seems real. People are hurt, killed, bringing a more urgent tone to the story.
