CATALYST PRIME: 7 DAYS #2: The Apocalypse Is What Happens While You Making Other Plans

A hero has fallen, the threat has been issued, the count down has begun…

Opening in very dramatic fashion on day 1 exactly where we left off the last issue as the shocked heroes have to diffuse a situation involving the fallen Noble’s wife.

This issue expands the cast exponentially as Gail Simone uses it to show the world’s reaction to the news that humanity has only seven…now 6 days left. It’s an ambitious issue as it covers a vast amount of ground from multiple character reactions of not only the characters we have met but also more heroes and more people. Thrown into this mix are several exciting plot threads which include an ark to save 1000 of humanity’s finest should it come to that, the internet disappearing, uneasy alliances with dubious characters and a first look at the true face of the enemy and some others I won’t spoil.

There is action aplenty as heroes around the globe react and do what heroes do. I particularly enjoyed the younger heroes getting together and facing the threat, seeing representation like this in a high quality superbly written comic is as big a thrill as the comic itself. Again though, while the action and story are engaging it’s Simone’s ability to humanize characters and flesh them out as three-dimensional beings in this book that really stands out. The character of Kino, for example, making the choice to go do what heroes do even though it means leaving his wife who tells him not to come back if he does is heart wrenching. The purity of Camilla who takes up the responsibility of repeating Noble’s last vital message to humanity to the world is touching and hope filled. The emotional depth runs across the full gamut of a wide variety of characters as Simone brings an absolutely huge cross section of complex emotional reactions in this issue two but without making the issue fell sappy or trite. The writing finely balances all the right elements for a thoroughly engaging read.

The art continues to be nothing short of brilliant from the dramatic opening splash right down to the very last page. Every single panel on every page is absolutely beautifully detailed. Paneling is cleverly used to help with conveying urgency and dynamism. Faces are detailed and uniquely recognizable. Lettering is perfectly placed by Saida Temofonte and there is a great use of color for effects and conveying the alienness of the enemy’s speech. Penciller Jose Luis, inker Jonas Trinidade and colorist Michelle Madson compliment each other so well here in all honestly for an absolutely flawless issue from an art perspective. Also, have to mention the Stjepan Sejic cover which is fantastic.