The Vision #10

By Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Jordie Bellaire, Clayton Cowles, and Mike del Mundo.

Honestly, who knew a book about a family of robots who spend the entire issue in their house could be so riveting? I’ll tell you who knew; our creative team led by Tom King. With The Vision #10 this team of collaborators took a bold move to showcase the android family handling grief after the events from the previous gut-wrenching issue. We find Vision philosophizing around justice, religion, and regret as he copes with his newfound loss. Meanwhile, his wife, Virginia, and daughter, Viv, are both finding their own way to handle their loss. All the while, the prophecy Agatha Harkness gave to the Avengers looms in the background. The prophecy that warns the Vision will cause great death and destruction to the Avengers, their families, and the world. Will the actions of the Avengers inadvertently bring the prophecy into fruition?

King is really bringing humanity into The Vision with every issue revealing new layers to the android family. This issue with the concept of the family stuck in the house, handling their grief is a fascinating approach to give each character some growth and complexity. King is expertly building towards a calamity on all fronts. The Vision family unit, the relationship Vision has with the Avengers, and Vision’s humanity are all going to be undone is some respect by the end of King’s story. He is leaving little threads throughout each issue hinting toward the inevitable fate waiting each character. It is amazing how the reader can connect and empathize with each character of the Vision family, especially The Vision. This book feels like watching a Greek tragedy, with The Vision as the tragic hero.

The Vision #10 has a lot to offer, but one thing that definitely needs to be addressed is the amazing cover.   Mike del Mundo did both this brilliant cover and the recap page. The cover is a family tree of the Visions and all the connecting “family” members that has Hank Pym (Ant-Man) at the head of the tree. Comic enthusiasts are going to really enjoy naming every member on the tree, that both recognize the current family of Vision, (Virginia, Viv, and Vin) while also paying respect to some past members from previous comic arcs like House of M.

This book feels so deliberate with the art direction. Meaning the decisions made between artists Walta, colorist Bellaire, and letterer Cowles were filled with intentions and deep meaning associated with the tone of the book. The Vision #10 follows a mostly heavy panel approach with one final page being a glorious splash . The multi-panel effect helps to show the space the Visions are sharing in the house, while also allowing for great character reaction shots. Walta has some fun in drawing Vision in different scenarios, like when it appears that Vision is wiping a tear away from his eye, but he is in fact removing his eyeball to replay a memory. Bellaire also does what she does best, and that is color the living hell out of this comic. It has this overall dark tone that captures the emotional resonance of the book, and leaves the readers feeling the restlessness of the characters. The vibrant green and reds that we usually associate with Vision appear muddied and dark throughout this issue.

You may be tempted to wait for the trade, but you should not wait to read this book. After this arc is done, it will be recommended to reread each issue just because King has crammed so much into every issue. The Vision just delivers in every aspect a comic should from great storylines that enrich characters, to beautifully crafted pages. The creative team behind this title are really building towards something with every issue, and if you are a fan of comics you will want to be there for that moment.