THE AUTHORITY #27
"Brave New World, Two of Four"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions
Writer: Mark Millar
Pencils: Arthur Adams
Inks: Tim Townsend
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Bill O'Neil
Editor: John Layman
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
It's a shame this series will end soon. Speculation regarding the reasons have run rampant; I don't care to join in. It's a shame that the intensity of this title will be gone, and it will leave a void in the industry. Millar's return to the book for the wrapup is as entertaining as ever, and Adams provides some richly detailed, expressive art.
After kicking the collective asses of the Legion of Super-Heroes (or unreasonable facsimiles thereof), the new Authority returns to its duties, maintaining the status quo on behalf of the world's elite. In their spare time, though, the twisted "heroes" delight in the torture of their predecessors.
I've been a fan of Arthur Adams's incredibly detailed style since I first saw it on some 1980s X-books. The penchant for detail really brings the brutality of Millar's storytelling to life. However, another reason I first came to so enjoy Adams's work was its brightness, its light tone. That tone really doesn't fit in with the mature, nasty world of The Authority.
Forget the previous Tom Peyer/Dustin Nguyen storyline in this title. It doesn't really jibe all that well with this one, as the humanizing of the new Authority doesn't mesh with the corruption we see here. Millar shocks us with the uncaring nature of these new characters, and it makes for riveting reading. Sure, this is a bit on the one-dimensional side, but again, it makes for some vivid and disturbing storytelling.
I'm chomping at the bit to see how this storyline plays out, and it's because I really have no idea what to expect next. Sure, some bloody just desserts will no doubt be involved, there's also a strong degree of unpredictability as well. In a morbid way, I expect the shift in the conflict to be a whole lot of fun. I just hope Millar has the chance to give the title characters a fitting sendoff, if, in fact, the end of The Authority is nigh.
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