Harbinger #23

By Joshua Dysart, Clayton Henry & Khari Evans

This has been a highly anticipated issue of Harbinger due to the fact that we lose one of the Renegades and Valiant has been very vocal about dead being dead. There is no chance for a resurrection, much like in reality. The more important question is how will the surviving members be able to move on when they lose a teammate?

There were questions and high expectations for this issue and Joshua Dysart does a pretty good job of meeting both. One of the best things about this issue is the fact that Dysart gives almost every member great character development. Kris and Peter get fleshed out the most and we see a deeper connection in their relationship, but Charlene and @x also get their chance to shine as well. After the death of the Renegade, Dysart makes the reactions of the rest of the team very real. It’s almost as if they can’t process what happened because they are not used to something like this. Some characters are unable to focus which puts the mission in further danger. Kudos to Josh on constructing a realistic and emotionally driven issue that will take the tone of the series in a darker direction.

The art is split up between Clayton Henry and Khari Evans this issue. The art is very well done and the sequence with the death are aesthetically the best panels in the issue. The difference in art from the seriousness of this issue to the cartoonish looking animals that Animalia concoct actually blend very nicely. It seems that there could be a bit of a discrepancy with the two different styles, but that is not the case at all. This was a good team effort from two artists who are very talented.

This issue should meet the hype for most fans, as Dysart delivers a good script that is bound to get a reaction out of the reader. The duo of Henry and Evans drew the issue wonderfully and with great passion. For any Harbinger fan this is a must read, and remember that the most interesting stories should be the ones that deal with the aftermath.