Just when you think you have the answer, the question changes…
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Barnaby BagendaThe Omega Men’s mysterious plan for Kyle Rayner comes to fruition as the former Green Lantern is forced to make the biggest decision of his life-one that could cost millions of lives. Secrets are finally revealed in an epic climax that will change the balance of power in the DC Universe.
Outside of the holy trinity of DC characters, I know very little about the DC Universe. Not to say that I am unfamiliar with the concepts, merely the overall structure is a bit of a mystery. Going into this review, I wanted to use “The Omega Men” as an opportunity to introduce myself to some more of these characters. In a somewhat ironic twist, I got exactly the opposite of that. That is by no means a complaint, an unexpected consequence of diving into something new. Full disclosure, I did read issues #1-6 prior to my review, as opposed to going in cold. Forgive me in advance if there are concepts I missed, feel free to comment below.
This chapter pick up after the crash on Hyn’xx, leaving Kyle Rayner and Princess Kalista on the run from The Citadel. In essence, the Citadel has placed the blame for the crash squarely on the shoulders of Kyle & Kalista. Undeterred, the two fugitives continue with their plan to escape Hyn’xx at all costs. With a quick brush with capture, Kalista bring Kyle to someone who can assist them with their escape. The pair make their way onto a ship, when a stunning revelation changes everything.
Considering where the last issue ended, Tom King found an excellent way to ratchet up the tension to 11. He eschews the idea of dealing with the fallout directly, which works perfectly in the narrative. From the beginning page, King’s CIA related experience spills on to the page through the words of the Viceroy. Labeling the Omega Men terrorists is a way to not mince words. These overtones are in the book throughout, even if there is some confusion as to what side the Omega Men are really on. Kalista’s intentions are clear and she is playing the double agent, but it is Kyle motivation is fascinating. King doesn’t true to make Kyle into a grandiose hero, if anything he shows his flaws. Kyle so desperately wants to save everyone, to make up from when he couldn’t. It is something that is psychologically ingrained in him, preventing him from seeing things as they are.
I enjoyed King’s writing but Barnaby Bagenda’s art takes it to a whole different level. Bagenda has a three dimensional style that makes everything “pop” from panel to panel. His line work looks painted on, a style I really enjoy. While I hate to make the comparison, he art is very similar to Mike Del Mundo. There is also a massive amount of detail to the sequences during Kalista & Kyle’s journey to the ship. Since Hyn’xx is an alien planet, Bagenda gets to add the classic Blade Runner-esque look to this world. The planet’s inhabitants get a unique look to each one that comes in contact with the protagonist. It is very immersive, considering the plot takes place in three total locations. While I am not sure if Bafenda is responsible for this, I like the fact “Omega Men” has white borders as opposed to black. With some of the pastel colors, it helps balance things out. The borders being black, I feel would make this like every other book on the market. Kudos to whoever decided this, it was a wise decision.
As noted earlier, I like the subtle (and some not so subtle) references to terrorism and enforcement. This aspect gives the proceedings a grounded feel, as opposed to happening in a world deep in space. To that point, King plays up how religion plays into that with great ease. From the Alphas and the Omegas seeing the world differently, is a lot like Christianity and Judaism. Fundamentally they are the same, although taking a different path to get there. The war between the two, it does feel all too real. Even in a human moment, there is some interesting commentary on Christianity. Kyle has a cross that was given to him from his grandmother, even the local Hyn’xx doesn’t believe him. The notion that the cross is a fake item, is both hilarious and biting in commentary.
Continued belowThe revelation Kyle makes at the end of the book, was a welcome surprise. Far too often, I read many books that delay the inevitable outcome to maddening lengths. In context, this was to be the end of the book before DC un-cancelled it. One has to wonder if this deviated from course significantly. If not, it was a hell of a cliffhanger to end things on. With more story still to tell, the full scope of the plan will be full realized. “The Omega Men” seem to fit very nicely into their own universe, without feeling too disconnected from the rest of DC. While I am unsure how it all ties together, I would be fine if it never came out of here.
Much to my surprise, this is a very dense story with a strong, if subtle, commentary on religion and politics. In my reviews for Marvel, I have noted how much I enjoy when Marvel takes a leap of faith to spice things up. While I personally feel DC does not do that enough, “The Omega Men” is an excellent example of how it does work. Strangely, this book does not seem to sell well enough for DC. I cannot speak to the reason, but I am puzzled as to why exactly. I understand to those reading this, this is issue #7, is it worth it? I will say absolutely, without question, it is worth the leap. For someone who knew little about the book, I was very impressed by how well it plays out. It is very easy to see why this made many best of list in 2015. And it appears the same accolades will follow in 2016.
Final Verdict: 8.4 – An excellent issues that brings the stakes to even newer heights. Thankfully, there is still 5 issues left to go in DC’s best series in publication not named “Batman.”
