THE AUTHORITY #25
"Transfer of Power, Three of Four"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions
Writer: Tom Peyer
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Richard Friend
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Bill O'Neil
Editor: John Layman
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
I've been enjoying Peyer and Nguyen's fill-in run so far, but this issue didn't quite click for me like the previous two. There's a slight lack of clarity this month, and what I do follow strikes me as... beneath The Authority. The miraculous powers of the extra-dimensional army the new Authority fights here, not to mention the supposedly "surprise" ending, aren't in keeping with the more original and intelligent tone of the series.
The new Authority scrambles to fight the suddenly empowered Asian refugees they dumped in the Bleed. Last Call, the Midnighter's counterpart on the new team, is pulled into the refugees' new dimension, where he learns how they got their new power. Meanwhile, the Colonel, overwhelmed by the fact that the first people the team has failed are those who put them into power in the first place, has a complete breakdown, which means it's time for Chaplain Action to jump into... well, action.
Nguyen still captures the widescreen feel of The Authority, though his work strikes me as a little bit on the rushed side this month. To be fair, though, that page 10/11 spread is amazing. I was also a bit disappointed with Baron's colors. Though some aspects of this title's coloring have always been crisp and bright to convey its energy, other aspects have also been muted, conveying the book's maturity and darkness. The latter isn't really the case here.
Peyer includes some strong characterization this month. Until now, the new Authority has been presented basically as a bunch of assholes. Here, we see human sides to the uncaring Colonel and the ever-quiet Street. It was also nice to Chaplain Action as something more than a PR device. The character has potential.
In the end, though, the fact that the refugees exact no small measure of justice simply by wishing it to be so doesn't sit well with me. It seems too easy... both for the characters and for Peyer. There's not a sense of achievement involved, and I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief -- especially when presented with the predictable ending of this issue.
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