I wanna start off by saying that I'm a little disappointed with this issue. We’ve waited forever for it (
with no explanation as to what the hold-up was for the release) and virtually, nothing happens.
The artwork by McNiven is amazing. He was the perfect man for this job. Millar’s writing is right on par with that level of quality as well. The series as a whole will probably make a very sought after TPB. Great story so far, great direction too. One can only hope that the climax will live up to one’s expectations.
As far as the story or plot developments go in this particular issue, it was a big let down.
We basically start where we left off last issue. Hawkeye’s daughter is about to clobber him to death, Logan jumps into action by getting in the Spider-mobile and charging full steam ahead. I don’t wanna spoil anything, but ultimately Logan rescues Hawkeye and they continue on their journey (
which I’ve almost forgotten what the purpose of is). The rest of the issue is basically the pair of old heroes driving across the country. We are treated to some nice visual representation of the post-apocalyptic landscape, while getting little tidbits from Hawkeye as to what happened to whom as we make our way through these areas. This paints a general picture as to where “everyone” is now.
In the last few pages of the issue, Logan and Hawkeye are in a bar talking about what happened at the beginning of the issue. In the final panel (
and I hope this isn’t really considered a spoiler) after an altercation in the establishment, Logan teases the reader by telling Hawkeye that he is about to tell him exactly what happened “on the night the heroes lost” and ultimately turned Logan into a pacifist.
This explains the title of this review. It's a good type of frustration though, like the season finally of your favorite television show. I just sincerely hope that Marvel has their ducks in a row and won’t make us wait so long for the next issue. We’re foaming at the mouth here. We love the suspense and mystery, but don’t kill the momentum!
I’m giving this issue a
3 out of 5 stars because although it fits into “the big picture” of Millar & McNiven’s top notch and very entertaining story, as a stand alone issue it was less than satisfying. After such a long wait since part 2, it didn’t fully regain the momentum for me. Part 4’s release date will either make or break the effectiveness of the final page of this issue.