S.W.O.R.D. #8 Review...Then We Are Done! *SPOILERS*

[Rift]

I liked the issue and what Storm did. I agree that Tarn didn't just lose, but jobbed hard. He should have done better, yet he looked like a chump here. But I was impressed with Storm's performance and how she handles her role as regent.

I gotta be honest though, Storm's kind of boring me now. It feels like these days, she just exists to come in, be badass, and then leave. Everything is about her being cool or commanding respect. Which yeah, it's great that she's getting respect. She earned it. But it's so one-note, and I miss the other aspects of her personality. I know that's the main role she has to have in her position, but she's more than just a pragmatic and strong ruler.

I don't mind it in this issue too much, since it feels like she hasn't done much in a good while. But I'm not too interested in future Storm stories if this is all she's going to do. Let's see her reaching out to the people of Arrako on a more personal and personable level.

[Wind Rider]

Its clearly a tone setting/set-up issue so I’m not getting how Tarn jobbed here. We know they could kill each other easily (more so with Tarn’s powers), but he arrogantly (like most Arakkii see Krakoans as soft/weak) told Storm to approach him for a merciful death & got humbled.

I think we will see more on her relationship with the Arakkii mutants, and I see her potentially changing due that experience. I don’t see them letting up on testing her, but I also don’t foresee this being the only aspect that is explored in the book. The Lethal Legion, Brand’s betrayal, relations w/ the Galactic Council, Orchis, etc are things I am hoping will come up as part of title’s focus.

[JB]

Its clearly a tone setting/set-up issue so I’m not getting how Tarn jobbed here. We know they could kill each other easily (more so with Tarn’s powers), but he arrogantly (like most Arakkii see Krakoans as soft/weak) told Storm to approach him for a merciful death & got humbled.

I think we will see more on her relationship with the Arakkii mutants, and I see her potentially changing due that experience. I don’t see them letting up on testing her, but I also don’t foresee this being the only aspect that is explored in the book. The Lethal Legion, Brand’s betrayal, relations w/ the Galactic Council, Orchis, etc are things I am hoping will come up as part of title’s focus.

Agreed. There's a lot coming down the pike in just the next issue alone. I'm looking forward to Storm interacting with Xandra.

"With Abigail Brand's attention divided between two S.W.O.R.D. stations, all ORCHIS needs is to pick their moment to strike. Meanwhile, the Shi'ar Empress Xandra is making her first formal visit to the Lake Hellas Diplomatic Ring...and stepping into the gunsights of the all-new LETHAL LEGION!"

[gambit2051]

I honestly loved this issue. I had some issues with the art (this could have been an all-time great issue for Storm with better Art), but Ewing more than makes up for that shortcoming with everything else.

Tarn is now an obvious rising "villain" for the franchise. Wells use of him in Hellions felt so self-contained, that I was honestly not sure if we would ever see him again, so the fact that he is on Arrako's Ruling Council was a nice surprise.

True, this felt a lot like Storm's fights with Calypso, Cyclops, and Marrow. In each of those, it was 1-on-1 and Storm could not use her powers in any of those instances (her fight with Cyclops is still one of the all-time best character moments for them both imo since Storm was Powerless and they were fighting for Leadership of the Team, anyways). So it has been awhile since Storm had to Prove how much of a Badass she is, and it makes A Lot of Sense for the Mutants of Arrako/Amenth to want to see what their Ruler has in the Ring (though I also would bet that this was not her 1st challenge based on the response from the Council lol).

But the way she was prepared (as always) to fight without her powers...perfect.

[lefthanded]

Good issue but felt like this should have been in another book and not S.W.O.R.D. Maybe would have worked in the Marauders, but that series already had a send-off issue for Storm where everyone just says how awesome she is.

Really would have liked something more Galactic in SWORD instead of a Arrakko vs Storm(Krakoa) story.

Wells definitely writes a better Tarn than Ewing, but I'm glad Tarn seems like he'll be used more.

[loke13]

Really enjoyed this issue. Storm remains a bad ass and a Krakoan mutant not to be messed with. Can't wait to see what Ewing has planned for her.

[Del torro]

Meh.
Would have preferred if they showed storms Goddess powers activating when her mutant powers were deactivated.

Seeing a telekinetic get Blitzed and stabbed by a depowered person who was kinda disable in one leg and arm was kinda lol.

I'm not really impressed with the Omegas of Arrako, compared to the ones we have on Krakoa, but I'm enjoying the lore.

And yeah, I agree, we should have gotten a full fight with storm using her powers and Tarn flexing his. Have them Duke it out a bit with telekinesis, wind and lightning, he tries some psychic attack on her and it fails so he uses his trump card and depowers her. But boom! She actually had magic goddess powers that she uses to attack now that is guard is down, then she shanks him with her knife and makes him concede.

Okay, I've been watching too much anime maybe

[ermac]

The art reminded me of Igor Kordey from Morrison's New X-Men

[JB]

Good issue but felt like this should have been in another book and not S.W.O.R.D. Maybe would have worked in the Marauders, but that series already had a send-off issue for Storm where everyone just says how awesome she is.

Really would have liked something more Galactic in SWORD instead of a Arrakko vs Storm(Krakoa) story.

Wells definitely writes a better Tarn than Ewing, but I'm glad Tarn seems like he'll be used more.

I'm chalking this one up as an intro type of issue as Storm the leader of the Arakki, considering they'll be having galactic visitors next issue.

[Hulkout42]

So is SWORD pretty much a stealth Storm solo now?

I expect something to happen between her and Brand due to the latter actions.

[Hulkout42]

Its clearly a tone setting/set-up issue so I’m not getting how Tarn jobbed here. We know they could kill each other easily (more so with Tarn’s powers), but he arrogantly (like most Arakkii see Krakoans as soft/weak) told Storm to approach him for a merciful death & got humbled.

I think we will see more on her relationship with the Arakkii mutants, and I see her potentially changing due that experience. I don’t see them letting up on testing her, but I also don’t foresee this being the only aspect that is explored in the book. The Lethal Legion, Brand’s betrayal, relations w/ the Galactic Council, Orchis, etc are things I am hoping will come up as part of title’s focus.

I think the problem stems on how he is presented here as opposed to how he was presented in Hellions.

In Hellions he truly seems more menacing and powerful and the only time you seem him worried is when that creature of his will blow up (i forget it's name), if that had not happened he would have most likely decimated them and Sinister...possibly even with the Chimera since it was most likely made using his knowledge and stolen DNA samples. I mean even there the Arrako council is weary of him and one them has prior experience to him, and since they are all Omegas then that makes him more worrisome.

Here he seems... lesser than what was shown there. I mean he had that W in the bag and then he monologues? I expect that from Sinister, maybe even HE but they pull that stung with this guy who is just brand new and looks better in the other book?

At least that is how i saw it...plus i the art really does not do him any favors here, good lord it was ugly compared to his look in Hellions.

But since Hellions is ending, or so i heard, this is where we will most likely see him so i hope they do a better job with his character.

[dirtynun]

I think the problem stems on how he is presented here as opposed to how he was presented in Hellions.

In Hellions he truly seems more menacing and powerful and the only time you seem him worried is when that creature of his will blow up (i forget it's name), if that had not happened he would have most likely decimated them and Sinister...possibly even with the Chimera since it was most likely made using his knowledge and stolen DNA samples. I mean even there the Arrako council is weary of him and one them has prior experience to him, and since they are all Omegas then that makes him more worrisome.

Here he seems... lesser than what was shown there. I mean he had that W in the bag and then he monologues? I expect that from Sinister, maybe even HE but they pull that stung with this guy who is just brand new and looks better in the other book?

At least that is how i saw it...plus i the art really does not do him any favors here, good lord it was ugly compared to his look in Hellions.

But since Hellions is ending, or so i heard, this is where we will most likely see him so i hope they do a better job with his character.

I think it is perspective that mainly affects how we see him in helions vs here. In helions we see him through the eyes of all who know and fear him. In sword we see him through storms perspective and storm doesn't fear him. That is why he seemed lesser than. And this is backed by her attitude towards him back in helions when she was bold enough to challenge him and even threaten him to not go after krakoa, Isca tells him that they aren't in amneth anymore and that people don't fear him as much here as before.
He lost because of one simple thing he understimated her. He believed she was weak and that the horrors he inflicts would shake her infact he only yielded not because of the knife but because he realized storm's spirit and will is something not even he can break hence why he called her storm the uncaring. She was willing to hold the regent title even after losing her omega power until she lost to any one who challenged her.

[dirtynun]

Meh.
Would have preferred if they showed storms Goddess powers activating when her mutant powers were deactivated.

Seeing a telekinetic get Blitzed and stabbed by a depowered person who was kinda disable in one leg and arm was kinda lol.

I'm not really impressed with the Omegas of Arrako, compared to the ones we have on Krakoa, but I'm enjoying the lore.

And yeah, I agree, we should have gotten a full fight with storm using her powers and Tarn flexing his. Have them Duke it out a bit with telekinesis, wind and lightning, he tries some psychic attack on her and it fails so he uses his trump card and depowers her. But boom! She actually had magic goddess powers that she uses to attack now that is guard is down, then she shanks him with her knife and makes him concede.

Okay, I've been watching too much anime maybe

Y'all I don't think tarn is telekinetic. He is a genetic manipulator who can rewrite his genome hence giving him practically any omega power he so chose. It's op as hell.


I would have enjoyed your approach better. But we got what we got. Hope this is the last we see of depowered knife fights from storm for a while cause it's getting really old.

[dirtynun]

I honestly loved this issue. I had some issues with the art (this could have been an all-time great issue for Storm with better Art), but Ewing more than makes up for that shortcoming with everything else.

Tarn is now an obvious rising "villain" for the franchise. Wells use of him in Hellions felt so self-contained, that I was honestly not sure if we would ever see him again, so the fact that he is on Arrako's Ruling Council was a nice surprise.

True, this felt a lot like Storm's fights with Calypso, Cyclops, and Marrow. In each of those, it was 1-on-1 and Storm could not use her powers in any of those instances (her fight with Cyclops is still one of the all-time best character moments for them both imo since Storm was Powerless and they were fighting for Leadership of the Team, anyways). So it has been awhile since Storm had to Prove how much of a Badass she is, and it makes A Lot of Sense for the Mutants of Arrako/Amenth to want to see what their Ruler has in the Ring (though I also would bet that this was not her 1st challenge based on the response from the Council lol).

But the way she was prepared (as always) to fight without her powers...perfect.

In xos last year she easily beats death by stabbing him.
She does it again in marauders when she gets depowered again by a Russian soldier buy proceeded to stab him in the eye yelling you can't take my power. This is soo frequent now it's a trope of storm to become depowered and enter knife fights.

[jwatson]

The funny thing is how exactly was tarn jobbed for a job he said he didnt want before he went in
Ok so he kills Storm instantly and now he is stuck as regent of arrako. Then what? Surely he would not have the time to continue his experiments which he would rather concede than risk the chance of not getting to finish. Does he wait for a brought back storm to come reclaim the throne again? Lol it was all spelled out in the issue. The only way he was going to kill storm is if she surrendered. Lol

Edit:also imo this was a battle between mutants and im almost postive if storm went goddess it would have been recorded as cheating.