Nick Costanzo
May 20, 2004, 09:13 pm
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/TheAuthorityCVR12t.jpg" align=left alt="Authority # 12"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0504/TheAuthorityCVR12.jpg)Reviewer: Nick Costanzo
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Fractured World
Kids these days...
Written by: Robbie Morrison
Pencils by: Dwayne Turner
Inks by: Sal Regla
Colors by: WSFX
Letters by: Phil Balsman
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Published by: Paul Levitz
WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Sorry, just couldn't really express my feelings without going into detail with the “hook” of this issue.
Well ok... that was incredibly disturbing.
In my last review of the Authority, I mentioned a certain distaste for clones. I mean, they're really really hard to do right, without simply becoming watered-down knockoffs of the originals. But even worse, one might argue, is the use of the “evil twin”. You know, just sorta pull some twin outta nowhere that no one has ever seen or mentioned or noticed before, and make the twin be the ULTIMATE VILLIAN of whoever his/her sibling is. Its contrived. Its been done. It makes fans groan almost as a reflex.
And as this issue of the Authority reveals, Jenny Quantum's “mom” isn't who she claims to be. She's actually her twin sister, Jenny Fractal. And suddenly I'm reminded of Cassandra Nova in New X-Men. Just like with Xavier, no one ever mentioned a twin. Ever. Its a complete and total retcon, one that can conflict (without a bit more information) past continuity. In Jenny's case, one might look back at the scene where she would have been separated from her sister and remember that Dr. Krigstein, the madman who created superheroes sent to kill Jenny before she could affect the 21st century, was able to track Jenny by her DNA. Why couldn't he do the same to do the same with Fractal? Its little questions like that which can make creating a twin out of nowhere so dangerous, at least as far as taking the story seriously goes.
However, the real reason why Cassandra comes to mind is that as she proved, in order for the evil twin thing to work, you've got to make the twin REALLY bad, and and prove that she's a real threat, not someone who can just be forgotten in a few issues. And even though the circumstances around Fractal's origins are shaky at best, she pulls off both of these requirements very well. There's something incredibly creepy about seeing a four-year-old describe the torture of her first few years in graphic detail, before revealing that she was powerful enough to force the entire government of China to do her bidding. Yes folk's she's the reason why reality is caving in on the Authority, and she's ready to kill them all from within.
Not surprisingly, its Apollo and Midnighter who get the brunt of Jenny Fractal's anger. After all, they took Jenny Quantum in and raised her as their daughter in a surprisingly nurturing environment despite the fact that her adopted parents were vicious killers on the battlefield. Meanwhile, they didn't even look for Fractal, and left her to be a guinea pig for all her life. I'd be p!ssed too. Once again, creepy is how I would describe these scenes. Fractal plays some impressive mind games for a four-year-old, especially when she says aloud what Midnighter thinks every time he looks at Quantum.
Meanwhile the rest of the team regroups in Washington as much of the world lies in ruins after the devastation of broken realities. Even they're not sure what can be done to fix things, which is pretty major for a team that once evacuated the entire planet for a few hours in order to save it. But on the last page, it seems like its already over. I won't go into the fine details, but its something that makes Midnighter cry :(
The art this issue has definitely taken a turn for the better. Maybe its the new colorer or something, but everything looks much cleaner this time around. No longer are we seeing characters' faces change from panel to panel. Turner appears to finally be getting a handle on the team, and the added clarity and polish to the art definitely adds to the story. His Jenny still looks a little too manga-inspired for a book where none of the other characters are drawn that way, but even here the emotion and consistency seen in both Jennys throughout this issue is superb.
“Fractured World” takes one of the oldest comic clichés in the book and manages to put a great spin on things, making the story seem fresh and exciting even though no new ground is really covered. This arc is back on the upswing, and that is certainly a good thing.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
By this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=11176)
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Fractured World
Kids these days...
Written by: Robbie Morrison
Pencils by: Dwayne Turner
Inks by: Sal Regla
Colors by: WSFX
Letters by: Phil Balsman
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Published by: Paul Levitz
WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Sorry, just couldn't really express my feelings without going into detail with the “hook” of this issue.
Well ok... that was incredibly disturbing.
In my last review of the Authority, I mentioned a certain distaste for clones. I mean, they're really really hard to do right, without simply becoming watered-down knockoffs of the originals. But even worse, one might argue, is the use of the “evil twin”. You know, just sorta pull some twin outta nowhere that no one has ever seen or mentioned or noticed before, and make the twin be the ULTIMATE VILLIAN of whoever his/her sibling is. Its contrived. Its been done. It makes fans groan almost as a reflex.
And as this issue of the Authority reveals, Jenny Quantum's “mom” isn't who she claims to be. She's actually her twin sister, Jenny Fractal. And suddenly I'm reminded of Cassandra Nova in New X-Men. Just like with Xavier, no one ever mentioned a twin. Ever. Its a complete and total retcon, one that can conflict (without a bit more information) past continuity. In Jenny's case, one might look back at the scene where she would have been separated from her sister and remember that Dr. Krigstein, the madman who created superheroes sent to kill Jenny before she could affect the 21st century, was able to track Jenny by her DNA. Why couldn't he do the same to do the same with Fractal? Its little questions like that which can make creating a twin out of nowhere so dangerous, at least as far as taking the story seriously goes.
However, the real reason why Cassandra comes to mind is that as she proved, in order for the evil twin thing to work, you've got to make the twin REALLY bad, and and prove that she's a real threat, not someone who can just be forgotten in a few issues. And even though the circumstances around Fractal's origins are shaky at best, she pulls off both of these requirements very well. There's something incredibly creepy about seeing a four-year-old describe the torture of her first few years in graphic detail, before revealing that she was powerful enough to force the entire government of China to do her bidding. Yes folk's she's the reason why reality is caving in on the Authority, and she's ready to kill them all from within.
Not surprisingly, its Apollo and Midnighter who get the brunt of Jenny Fractal's anger. After all, they took Jenny Quantum in and raised her as their daughter in a surprisingly nurturing environment despite the fact that her adopted parents were vicious killers on the battlefield. Meanwhile, they didn't even look for Fractal, and left her to be a guinea pig for all her life. I'd be p!ssed too. Once again, creepy is how I would describe these scenes. Fractal plays some impressive mind games for a four-year-old, especially when she says aloud what Midnighter thinks every time he looks at Quantum.
Meanwhile the rest of the team regroups in Washington as much of the world lies in ruins after the devastation of broken realities. Even they're not sure what can be done to fix things, which is pretty major for a team that once evacuated the entire planet for a few hours in order to save it. But on the last page, it seems like its already over. I won't go into the fine details, but its something that makes Midnighter cry :(
The art this issue has definitely taken a turn for the better. Maybe its the new colorer or something, but everything looks much cleaner this time around. No longer are we seeing characters' faces change from panel to panel. Turner appears to finally be getting a handle on the team, and the added clarity and polish to the art definitely adds to the story. His Jenny still looks a little too manga-inspired for a book where none of the other characters are drawn that way, but even here the emotion and consistency seen in both Jennys throughout this issue is superb.
“Fractured World” takes one of the oldest comic clichés in the book and manages to put a great spin on things, making the story seem fresh and exciting even though no new ground is really covered. This arc is back on the upswing, and that is certainly a good thing.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
By this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=11176)