The story is still running a marathon with the plot making
it very difficult to really enjoy everything in the book, but it takes steps
towards returning to its former glory. The issue begins with our displaced
explorers sharing a cafeteria style meal which is interrupted by Daavi falling
on top of their table. Kronas is left outside the city captured by Abaris. He
uses Daavi’s memories to find her lair so that he can save the people of the
city. Abaris is unhappy of the developments and sends the Shock Force into the
city to beat the ever living hell out of its captured citizens. Now Daavi and
the others are racing the clock to make their escape from the city to help
Kronas, while he races the clock to save the universe.
There’s a lot going on in this issue which means shortened
pages for everyone’s dialog. Hopefully a
lot of this storyline has been wrapped up for the final issue in the arc so
that the next issue can focus on Kronas and Daavi. The story is still being
written by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer, but I have to say that it’s severally
lacking Mark Waid’s style and voice. It’s understandable that there’s going to
be growing pains as the series transitions Waid from the series, but this storline has an incredibly different feel than the first arc. If Peyer stays on as the
main writer of the series after this arc I hope that he really takes a hold of
the story and returns it to its tone and style or finds his own for the series.
Artist Chad Hardin continues to be a staple of the series
with his crisp pencils and detailed style. His range of abilities is really
pushed with this issue as he draws several aliens and characters displaced from
different moments in time. Just the different aliens could be challenge enough,
but then Hardin must also draw a wide, wide range of character clothing
including: civil war, knights, western and several others. Hardin’s style for
the book has given it the bridge that connects the first and second story arcs.
The series is still a long ways away from being as good as
any issue from the first story line, but it’s on the right path to get there
finally. The first two issues of this arc were very shaky and gave cause for
concern about the series, but this issue is very decent and gives hope to the
series continuing at the same level of quality. The issue leaves the book in a
good place for the next issue and that will really determine if the third story
arc will be worth picking up.
Overall Score – 7.7/10
*New Readers will be confused so wait for the trade and make
sure you read the first story arc*
For more Traveler goodness check out issue #5!