The Unexpected #6 – Steve Orlando, Writer; Ronan Cliquet, Artist; Jeromy Cox, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Steve Orlando’s strange cosmic epic gets closer to its scheduled conclusion at #8, and as it’s advanced it’s become less of an overly complex Morrison-esque comic and more of a slam-bang pulp adventure. This issue heads back a little to that original vibe, bringing in some Morrison concepts without overwhelming the reader. As the issue begins, Onimar Synn has trapped Firebrand and Neon within his twisted body while battling Hawkman. While Hawkman fights for his life against the shape-shifting villain, Neon tries to keep Firebrand’s soul from being fully absorbed. This is a great visual segment, as underrated DC artist Ronan Cliquet (who did excellent work on Green Lanterns) manages to depict this strange cosmic limbo in an effectively creepy fashion. It’s strange, cosmic widescreen action with a surprise twist once it’s revealed what’s lurking inside Synn’s core. It’s also fairly gross in points in the way Morrison comics often are.
Once Synn is defeated for the time being, the issue takes an interesting twist as it jumps around for multiple narratives. Hawkman, Firebrand, and a critically injured Neon find themselves on a mysterious world with a strange gravestone, at the same time that an unfortunate explorer in Canada accidentally unleashes the Bad Samaritan again. As the villain heads off to fulfill his goal of releasing the series’ true villain, the heroes are confronted by a surprising guest-star – the Fuginaut, or at least one of the same species that we saw in Sideways. He accuses them of being disruptive time anomalies – only to be killed from behind by Mandrakk the Dark Monitor, the obscure Final Crisis villain. Orlando is delivering a complex, often convoluted story picking up on a lot of dangling plot threads. I’m not sure it’s always the most coherent story, but as it’s moved on it’s become a highly entertaining read.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
