OK, here's the good news: Micah Ian Wright offers up a strong, accessible script with a much better clarity of character, and on top of that, he introduces a new player with an intriguing and entertaining super-power. But there's bad news too, I'm afraid. Portacio's distorted and thoroughly inconsistent artwork remains a blight on this book. If this series has any prayer of permanently hooking an audience, it will have to do so with a different penciller.
The new Stormwatch team has a new member: Avi Barak. As he makes his way through the United Nations building to the sub-basement headquarters of the team, he earns himself the scorn of teammate, a minor flesh wound and a massive seizure, all thanks to the unique nature of his telepathic powers. And in the wake of Barak's arrival, Col. Santini realizes that his new team must come into conflict with a major global power much sooner than anyone ever expected.
I've never much cared for Portacio's art before, but this title stands out as some of his weakest work to date. Thanks to his inconsistent pencils, overdone inks and weak coloring, Coleman and Hamalainen are almost indistinguishable from one another, and Barak never seems to look like the same person twice. Key art elements are excluded and reinserted at times, and the backgrounds are often lacking.
While I'm a little disappointed with the continued Americanization of this supposed international team (Barak is an Israeli recruit, but he grew up in California), Barak is a great new addition to the mix here. His character has a far more everyday attitude, and despite his powers and background, he brings a down-to-earth element to the cast. I also find the recruitment of a metahuman member of a team dedicated to the elimination of metahuman threats to be an intriguing hypocrisy, and I think it can bring some interesting storytelling possibilities to the book.
Wright's take on Barak's super-power is inventive, fun and a little chilling at times. Given that slightly different take on telepathy, it seems to me that Wright have some new ideas to bring to the super-hero genre, and I hope we get to see his work on something more than just this title.
