Aphrodite IX #7

By Matt Hawkins & Stjepan Sejic

Aphrodite IX has been an overwhelming success in terms of execution, style, and creativity on all fronts. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem like it’s getting the level of attention it so richly deserves. While the art style saw a minor shift last month, it didn’t deter from the incredible story and was still fantastic work.

In issue #7, Matt Hawkins does a great job of developing the protagonist’s story. It was actually quite nice to take a break away from the cyborgs of Speros and the ‘gene-freaks’ of Genesis for an issue, each of which only made brief appearances. The segments they did appear in, however, also helped develop these characters in their respective directions for the current arc. Marcus is getting more zealous in his religious fervor, while he has also become increasingly brutal in his war against the cyborgs. As already stated though, this issue really focuses on Aphrodite herself and the model XV Aphrodite she is currently with. This issue was brimming with action and also had a surprising plot development that readers should really be looking forward to.

There were also some excellent subtle moments of humor in this latest installment, largely accomplished through visuals. Stjepan Sejic is a personal favorite artist and his work in Aphrodite IX is magnificent. The realism and attention to detail can be quite astonishing, even with the relatively altered style of the last two issues; this change is relative and the art still remains among the best in the medium. The facial expressions in issue #7 are some of the best in this series yet, while the weapons and other technology all have some incredible designs. The colors in this issue are just as epic as the illustrations themselves and help bring tons of vibrancy and life to the book, along with some excellent panel layouts.

This is one of the top books available right now and it more than deserves your attention! The story is magnificently scripted and the artwork is phenomenal. While issue #7 was relatively one-dimensional compared to earlier installments, it actually came as a welcome change of pace. Overall, this was a great issue of Aphrodite IX and has certainly served up some intriguing prospects for the future of these characters.