Psi-Lords #3
Recap
After stomping an elitist douchebag alien in their first real battle as a team the Psi-Lords are now on the run from said douchebag's literal legions of bloodthirsty homies. Much to their surprise the mystery man who helped them escape shows up alive and well despite the team watching him die in the first issue.
As they learn more about their powers the team begins to remember just who they are and how they came to be stranded in such a bizarre situation with even more bizarre powers. The problem is as memories come flooding back our heroes find themselves deeper and deeper in a web of danger, mystery and betrayal.
Suffice it to say not all who started this unique and perilous journey are gonna survive it but just who will and who won't is gonna put the Psi-Lords through their paces.
Review
I said before this book at times feels like a slow burn into a much bigger eventual pay off, that still stands true but with this issue Van Lente shows that he’s not one bit afraid to hit the reader with some serious curve balls. While it would be more pleasing in the short term to have more revealed about just what the heck is actually going on behind the weird amalgam scrap worlds and strange psionic abilities the team wields, Van Lente paces his trail of clues perfectly to keep you invested in the mystery.
Renato Guedes brings his A-game to the table here crafting a vibrant yet grim when needed world around the characters. The art tackles all of the elements with precision whether it’s grotesquely beautiful aliens devouring unsuspecting prey or a super powered, knuckle scraping throwdown every single panel nails the mood. It’s almost too easy to forget that prior to this issue the characters are mostly made unique by the dialogue and expertly crafted expressions and body language being as how they’re all bald and rocking matching jumpsuits. This fact alone shows just how well done the characters are when one considers how bombastic and diverse each team member is from the next.
Final Thoughts
While not your typical superhero fanfare by any means, Psi-Lords is a well crafted book that balances the perfect mix of humor, action and intrigue. This is a fresh take on the classic "whodunit" trope that is just flat out enjoyable from beginning to end. If you're looking for super people beating up bank robbers then you're barking up the wrong tree here but if you're looking for something a little more cerebral yet visually engrossing then this is definitely where you wanna be.
Psi-Lords #3: Children of the Dogstar
- Writing - 8/108/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9.5/109.5/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10