The A Team meets The Others (the short-lived TV show, not the Nicole Kidman flick) in this entertaining action story. The story unfolds clearly and the premise is a promising one. There'sjust one problem: the writing is painfully predictable. As I progressed to each new page, I knew pretty much exactly what to expect. And I'm no psychic. By embracing cliches and giving far too much away in the dialogue, the writers telegraph where the story is going far too clearly. The art is somewhat light, and while it could have improved the story by aiming for a darker look, it tells the story clearly and distinguishes the significant cast of characters from one another as well, making it easier for the reader to delve into the plot.
From an early age, Jonathan Fierce stood out from the crowd. As a child in Jamaica, his gift of precognition made him a legend in his neighborhood. It also attracted the attention of the FBI, who end up recruiting the young man later in life. The bureau forms a special unit around Fierce and his abilities, and despite the limited accuracy of Fierce's abilities, the group excels in its extreme crimefighting duties. When they bust a longtime ring of gunrunners, though, they cross paths with a Jamaican druglord with the resources, knowledge and determination to put an end to their crusade.
Robert Love's art here strikes me as a cross among the styles of such artists as J. Scott (Danger Girl) Campbell, Bart (Captain America & the Falcon) Sears and Tony (The Walking Dead) Moore. The storytelling is clear, and Love has crafted distinct looks for all of the characters, eliminating confusion as many of them have rather similar personalities. The overall tone of the artwork is a bit light, and I'm surprised a darker, edgier atmosphere wasn't employed to beef up the tension in the story.
The plot unfolds far too predictably here, and that's what keeps this interesting premise from standing out as something truly unique and special. Of course there's another guy in the room Fierce didn't know about. Of course the bad guy is from Jamaica and knows of Fierce's talents. Of course the other members of the unit get too overconfident. On top of that, there are a couple of cliched characters who just get in the way of the story. The unit's commander is the typical, hard-nosed character who always ends up caving to his men's wishes. And Fierce's therapist is shapely and has a soft spot for her patient. We've seen these characters too often before.
I think my favorite aspect of the book is how Fierce is depicted as being not at all physically agressive. Despite what we see on the cover and included pinup, Fierce is no warrior. He's not equipped for the rough stuff, and that's a nice change of pace. I just hope that proves to be the case throughout the series.
