We open with the eXcellent, mood-setting, 5-page preview teaser. THEN, page by page:
6. OMG... SHARD?! (Pauses, to fully absorb the absolutely IDEAL art.)
7. Or not... apparently, mirages aren't going to be associated with just Dani Moonstar, and apparitions are going to be a-plenty. Gabby's got game & crackin' wise, as usual, but reveals Lucas & Lorna have the eXact same, hallucinatory issues... when it comes to 'seeing' "invisible" people, and/or 'hearing' them (laughter), it seems.
8. BEAST! More monstrous than ever here (as the lil' one's overseer and... watchdog), both literally & figuratively (props to Peralta, again), BUT...
9. ... in steps the Mirage, who definitely appears more corporeal, than other passing phantoms shown so far. Her 'voice', is calming & reassuring, and her guiding advice is accepted.
10. From breakfast in the cafeteria to the yard, other memories for Lucas--of both Honey B. & X-23--are resurfacing. Polaris is seen also, glimpsed really, but not without subtly being depicted as noticing Bishop's internal struggles.
11. Gabby with attitude again, on the B-ball court. And the mention of memories ("brain fuzzies") & bein' like Lorna, too, as well as the allusion to Beast's threat.
12. FINALLY, Bishop approaches Polaris, calling her by that name. But in his OR her head, he/she questions... "Or Pestilence?" He broaches the subject of their implied, shared mental disturbances. Moonstar conveniently intervenes again, saying Lorna's "having a bad day," and asks him to join her instead.
13. The tour, and attempts at eXplanation... commiserating, commences. BEAUTIFUL page presentation here, in both visuals & wording. Dani expounding on how things work--how they are--on the inside, is like poetry, and really gave me the feels: "... LIKE GRAVITATES TO LIKE. FOR PROTECTION, BUT MORE FOR UNDERSTANDING. THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN AWAY THE POWERS, BUT WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL REMAINS."
14. Just like the last, the neXt page is a sight to behold, and she shares her own confusion & doubts about what's real & what's not. We see her as the Moonstar we know, and as Valkyrie. But almost on purpose, their moment together is interrupted & cut short, by an alarm & announcement that outside time has ended.
15. Beast RAGING, and practically frothing at the mouth, as he violently attacks Bishop. Provoked by a tattletale Gabby, who looks on, with complete gratification/smug satisfaction.
16. Lucas quickly recovers tho, stands his ground, and the fight ensues. But so do memories of friendlier times... places, which takes him out of battle mode long enough, to give Beast the upper hand with his furious fists.
17. Bishop briefly tries to reason with him, but the guards quickly intercede, and bring the big guy down with a jolt from multiple tasers.
18. Lockdown for all, as a result. Dani visits one more time, outside his cell, and the ghostly howling heard earlier resumes.
19. Now it's more like cackling, tho, and he sees--we see--the spidery Shadow King from his recent Astonishing stint, tempting tauntingly... Apocalypse in his true form, decimating Marvelous-looking members Storm, Colossus, and JEAN, while warning of the immense danger he poses... SHARD, in the clutches of a Sentinel & being crushed, issuing a dire message of her own.
20. It eXpertly concludes with a fleeing shadow, and a mysterious note that's left behind by said, secretive... ally(?), which reads: "THE DREAM IS REAL, THE REALITY FALSE! GET OUT!"
Need a minute now, to take it all in, and collect my--like their--fragmented thoughts. What I can say, is that YES... I was pretty much BLOWN AWAY!