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View Full Version : THE AUTHORITY: REVOLUTION #6 REVIEW


BoomBot
Mar 31, 2005, 11:24 pm
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0305/AuthorityRevolution6T.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="The Authority: Revolution #6 Cover Preview"> (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0305/AuthorityRevolution6.jpg)Reviewer: Omar A. Safi, safi@sbcglobal.net
Story Title: The Eternal Return, Part 6 of 12: Whatever Happened to the Authority?

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciller: Dustin Nguyen
Inker: Richard Friend
Colorist: Wendy Broome
Letterer: Jared H. Fletcher
Asst. Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
The Authority Created by: Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch

The previous issue saw the Authority disband; The Authority: Revolution #6 takes a look at the team three years later. While reading this issue, it feels like it could have been bettered spent and condensed into less than a whole issue.

Whatever Happened to the Authority? (which the title is a nice homage to Alan Moore’s Superman story) examines the post-Authority ruled world. In a world riddled with glowing billboard advertisements, everything seems at a relative peace, even like how it was before the Authority took control. The individual members of the team have separated. The Midnighter is lurking the streets and fighting crime. Ironically, Jack Hawksmoor is doing the same and goes back to the Carrier, piloted by the Engineer, when he’s done. Swift retired to the Tibetan mountains to live a life of peace. Apollo secretly lives in San Francisco, raising Jenny by himself. Sadly, Joroen Thorndike, or the Doctor, died from a drug overdose two years after the team’s split. Jenny sends her father to reunite the team for the anniversary of the Doctor’s death; unfortunately, the rest of the group declines and Apollo and Jenny visit Joroen’s grave alone. In the end, Jenny realizes she can still visit Joroen by traveling to the Garden, the shamans’ home. There, she realizes something is horribly wrong.

Writer Ed Brubaker (Sleeper, Captain America) pens an enjoyable story throughout. The beginning features a brutal scene with the Midnighter stopping a WMD transaction in Russia. The dialogue flows without error and is nicely narrated through a TV special. The problem is that most of the whereabouts of the Authority members were already covered earlier in the series. So, the issue feels tired and invaluable to the lengthy story that is already ongoing. The end, where Jenny is startled after coming back from the Garden, is the only plot mover.

Also, the story does not demonstrate how the supposed manipulation of the Authority is so wrong. With the return of Bendix, the world should be horrible but it really is not. Even Swift mentions how the world managed well without them and how others say situations have progressed. Moreover, Current events include the achievement of peace in the Middle East, particularly with an agreement between Palestine and Israel. There are some mixed opinions wanting the Authority back but that is the only dissent.

Dustin Nguyen’s (Wildcats Version 3.0) pencils approach the Authority quite differently than series artists like Bryan Hitch or Frank Quitely. So far, Nguyen has been back and forth with his quality on Authority: Revolution. It has never been wholly bad but sometimes Nguyen exhibits his outstanding style and some issues are not as exceptional. This issue falls under the latter, where he fails to impress. The script does not provide the material for Nguyen like the more volatile action scenes his style is suited for. The beginning action sequence is well choreographed and his Jenny is nicely cute though. This issue’s cover has an excellently painted-look and is one of the best of the series so far.

Despite not making much story progress, Whatever Happened to the Authority? is satisfactory and there is still a lot in store for The Authority: Revolution.

ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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Buy The Authority: Revolution online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1511&cat=AUTHORITY%3A+REVOLUTION)

tormented_spawn
Mar 31, 2005, 11:49 pm
Great review there, Omar. By looking at your review, I can judge whether this issue is worth my time. But, seeing as I already bought, still, very informative review.

Nick Costanzo
Apr 1, 2005, 12:34 pm
*Cries* Stupid money! Stupid schedule! Not only was I not able to review this, but I haven't even had time to BUY it yet. So very sad :(

Brian Warthen
Apr 1, 2005, 03:56 pm
From my perspective this was the best issue so far. I had all but dropped this. The art wasn’t rocking my world (loved Dustin on Wildcats but not so much here) and the writing wasn’t great (Ed was genius on Cap A but here he just hadn’t caught the feel of the Authority) heck I had even said as much on this very site. Then issue six falls into my paws. BAM, we are in the future (d@mn them I love the future), Jenny is grown up more (curses I love Jenny and now she is grown we finally get cool stuff again from her); the world is fine without the Authority (what?? How?? But??), and the Doc is dead (long live the doc...wait he died crap). I bite down hard on the hook and now they just need to reel me in.

Brian Warthen

tormented_spawn
Apr 1, 2005, 09:44 pm
*Cries* Stupid money! Stupid schedule! Not only was I not able to review this, but I haven't even had time to BUY it yet. So very sad :(
Don't worry about it, Omar and James (reviewing Sleeper now) is doing a great job replacing you. :P Bet you wish you didn't stop reviewing Sleeper now. I'm kidding, mate, nothing but love here. :D

Jon Hancock
Apr 2, 2005, 07:00 pm
Didn't think too much to this issue. I'm thinking it'll read better once it's collected. A downtime issue after building up Bendix seemed a little odd.