We're down to the last 4 issues of MCP. Things kick off with the debut of a brand new character called Lunatik. Created by Keith Giffen, Lunatik is hundreds of millions of years old. The last of his race, because he consumed all of his planet's people, animals and resources, Lunatik now travels the galaxy as a mercenary with little scruples and a love of space dolphins.
Yeah, you heard me. Space Dolphins and if that little clue reminds you of a big bad bastiche from the pages of the Distinguished Competition, then reward yourself with a few credits from petty cash. Keith Giffen created the character of Lobo in the pages of Omega Men #3 (1983) and his origin reads an awful lot like that of Lunatik's. Though Lobo did come first, mind you.
One thing very different between Lobo and Lunatik is that Lunatik has a sidekick. Skreet is a chaos sprite who acts a little bit like Lunatik's conscience as well as his secretary and bookkeeper. Illustrated by Giffen and inked by Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Skeet is kinda punk and kinda alluring. But for Lunatik, as good intentioned as Skreet is, she's a boil on his backside.
Vengeance appears in a single issue story set in San Francisco. In this episode, Badilino and his task force are responding to reports of a super-powered killer in the City by the Bay. It might just be the extremely misguided vigilante, Foolkiller, behind the murders. Or there could be something even more sinister in the works...
The other two segments are POV stories from members of Force Works. Despite last issue being told that we needed to by the latest issue of Force Works to learn how the team survives the crash of the Pegasus, the stories here pick up immediately after the accident. Miraculously and shamelessly, everyone survives. This leads to U.S. Agent going off on his own, half-cocked of course, to stop the Mandarin while the Scarlet Witch tends to the injured.
While the Force Works stories follow the same formula of one incident told from 2 perspectives, neither is framed from a Point of View like in the last issue. I think omitting such a concept takes away from the unique theme of the Force Works stories.
The Vengeance story was kinda comedic. Though the loose ending scares the pants offa me. I don't really know what to think of the Lunatik story. It's classic Keith Giffen fare. But it also looks a lot like a Lobo swipe...
A good issue that just has some flaws to it.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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