New Warriors Appreciation

[Speedball]

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Alright! Now we're talking! I think this was the best issue of the new run so far. Outside of the first issue, this one left me the most excited for the future of the comic. These were my favorite aspects of issue #7:

1) The way Marcus To draws Speedball. I have been a Speedball fan my whole life. I think this is my favorite rendition of him so far. In this issue, Marcus captures Speedball perfectly. He looks to have matured away from his teenage appearance from Volume One while still retaining a youthful look. You could imagine this as the older version of that wise cracking kid we used to know. He has obviously changed and grown as a result of his time serving 'Penance', but has returned somewhat to his definitive self and seems to be right where he should be along the grand timeline. Also, let me say this... one of the keys to drawing Speedball successfully has always been his hair. MANY artists have failed to capture this over the years. Typically, the artists who get the hair right, tend to get the whole package right. Bagley was able to do this, Derrick Robertson not so much, (although I think he was a worthy successor to Bagley's legacy during the original run). Marcus NAILS it! This is Speedball at his best and I am loving it! Thank you Marcus To for getting it just right!

2) Jake Waffles and Mr. Whiskers new look. I am going to admit that I initially thought the addition of these two was pretty lame. To me they looked silly and immature. This new look is nice. Especially Waffles. I think it still looks fun but now is a tad cooler. I think I would actually like to see Waffles filling a support role similar to Chord on a permanent basis.

3) Overall art. The art was very nice throughout the whole issue. Not sure if it was just me, but it actually seemed to get better as the issue went along. By the end I was stopping to admire the work. I really like how Marcus draws Sun Girl, Justice and 'Waterita'.

4) Robbie being startled by Vance's hologram suddenly popping up right in front of him. That part made me laugh.

5) The dialog between Kaine and Aracely. This has been a strong point of the title since issue one and continues to delight. The part where she is talking about the evil presence being there while not being there, and Kaine telling her that doesn't make any sense, was funny.

6) Witnessing Sun Girl jump into the fire in order to save Haechi was awesome. Having her 'miss' the bad guys only to have been aiming at the chains was a nice touch, I see some serious bonding between those two evolving from this and that warmth is what will be needed to cement this group as a team. I really like it!

7) Speedball: "Get out Jake Waffles!" Jake Waffles: "I cannot get out. I live here." Hilarious!

8) I really liked watching Justice assume a Cyclops like leadership role on the team. I guess he has always kind of been their Tactician-Leader but this issue really portrayed him very clearly in that role. Seeing him stride into the room, cape billowing, in order to take command on page 20 was awesome. This written portrayal along with Marcus' awesome artwork on him throughout this issue reminded my of why Justice has been one of my favorites through all these long years.

9) Finally, I can't end my list of favorite points without mentioning that old school cameo towards the end. Yost tied the character in nicely by incorporating dark force wielding Inhumans. It was a touch of nostalgia seeing the character there, if even just for the moment.

I can't wait to see what happens next. Where did the team end up after teleporting? Who are all those angry people with crowbars closing in on them? Will we learn the true story behind what happened to Namorita? When will Dwayne Taylor make his dramatic return? The next issue is too far away...