THE SCORCHED #52 (IMAGE COMICS/SPAWN UNIVERSE)
Jessica Priest has made a bold choice.
Coming off the heels off a devastating loss, Priest makes a call to rebuild the supernatural squad. With the blessing of Spawn himself, Priest enacts a movement that gives her sole control over the lineups per mission.
The first one under this movement looks like it might be a short lived tenure.
THE SCORCHED #52 by Thomas Healy, Alessandro Vitti , DINEI RIBEIRO & ANDWORLD DESIGN (IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE COMICS) brings forth the Belarus incident.
Let’s take a closer look at what transpires now.
THE SCORCHED #52 by Thomas Healy, Alessandro Vitti , DINEI RIBEIRO & ANDWORLD DESIGN (IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Healy doesn’t delay in setting the very serious tone early in the issue. Jessica’s deliberation of the plan is direct and straight to the point. There is clearly no room for error. The team selected offer up some clashing personalities to offset the seriousness. Gunslinger is an early breakout candidate for this issue. Once its’ time to get to the mission, there isn’t any give on the brutal message the team is sending.
Readers watch as the team invades the compound with precise accuracy. The narration hits every point of how Jessica is the architect for what’s unfolding. From here, the team doesn’t shy away form the viciousness of the work. This theme doesn’t falter as the more covert attacks commence. Priest’s calming tone helps make the connections with the hostages but not without loopholes. The writing shows some cracks in the foundation while the closing begins. It brings the team back down to a relatable point beofre hitting the last page. Once here, even the bet laid plans can always go up in smoke.
Vitti & Ribeiro open with Jessica’s full page debriefing of the mission. Her expressions are stone cold as she sets the tone for what lies ahead. Once readers see who’s in the audience, the demeanor changes ever slightly. Gunslinger is very much out of his element here. His more mysterious style is upstaged by another of the team. Soul Crusher’s introduction gets a strong full page image. It helps to break up the tension before heading into more serious territory.
The mission itself is a very straight-forward presentation. There’s no shyness in displaying the blood and violence connected with this team. It seems as a release of sorts for the squad as they start gaining some confidence in comparison to how they got here. A striking half panel shows Jessica unleashing more rage in a surprise attack. This is complimented by a superb two page spread of her team in action. The mood only changes when a surprise is thrown into play. Jessica’s reaction speaks volumes as the last page begins. Readers watch as events take a fast turn, leaving more uncertainty in the air. Solid presentation with the art within these pages.
FINAL GRADE: 8.6
The new era of the Scorched hits the ground running with an explosive first mission. Healy showcases Jessica in her glory and struggles with her new initiative taking place! Vitti & Ribeiro bring the action with stunning art. If you want action, look no further than what unfolds here.
Let me know your thoughts on THE SCORCHED #52 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
