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SCION #16
Recommended (7/10)
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CrossGen Comics
Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Don Hillsman II
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Troy Peteri & Dave Lanphear
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
Though the main plot of this issue is a tad on the cliched side, Scion continues to progress slowly but surely, and I remain intrigued by the political tone of the book. Marz has fashioned some strong characters, and Cheung's art still stands out as the title's greatest strength. Of course, those haunting colors aren't hard on the eyes either.
Ethan and Ashleigh arrive at the site of the Underground's headquarters and safe haven, only to find it wasn't so safe after all. The bodies of dozens of people from the "lesser races" lie bloodied and brutalized... at the feet of Exeter, the hulking bounty hunter who twice tried to capture Ethan. Meanwhile, Kai, Ethan's brother, leads a batallion of soldiers to help fortify a Heron foothold in Raven territory.
Cheung's detailed art is always a pleasure to behold, and I remain impressed with character designs. Ponsor's colors struck me as particularly strong this month. He bathes the nighttime scenes featuring Ethan, Ashleigh and Exeter in blues and greys, and they manage to convey a sense of eerie calm and quiet, even as Ethan and Exeter's weapons clang together. And then there's the warm orange glow of sunset that envelops Kai and Rechts on their ship. Just lovely.
So now Exeter is on the side of the angels, it would seem. While I found this new direction for the character to be satisfying, I can't deny that it's a cliche in genre fiction. Still, the move promises to make Exeter a more regular element in the book, and I honestly can't complain about that. I enjoy the character and look forward to seeing him develop. I just hope his path doesn't lead him to further cliches.
When Scion debuted, everyone -- including myself -- thought that it was going to be a sword-and-sorcery book, given the promotional images we saw online and in Previews. We were wrong. Marz is telling a story about family obligations, about responsibility and about race, and it makes for good reading month after month.
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