Harbinger #6

After making their escape from the clutches of the Harada Foundation, an injured Peter and his new friend Faith lay low for while, as Peter recovers from his wounds. Kris, Peter’s ex manipulated girlfriend, is being closely watched by a handful of Harbinger goons for any contact with the renegade psiot. But this young lady is not the helpless butterfly they think she is and with the help of Faith & Peter, will take Harada & his flunkies for an unexpected ride.

The Team

Written by Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier Vol. 1 : Haunted House, Conan & The Midnight God, Hellboy Vol. 10 : The Crooked Man & Others), illustrated by Phil Briones (White Tiger : A Hero’s Compulsion TPB) & coloured by Ian Hannin. Cover by Mico Suayan (Werewolf By Night : In The Blood, Immortal Weapons) with Brian Reber. Published by Valiant Comics.

The Pros & Cons

A new story arc begins with the formation of the Renegades, Kris joins Peter & the overly perky Faith to rise up against Harada and his Harbinger Foundation. Kris is a character I didn’t expect to see again, she got manipulated & almost died because of Peter’s abuse of power, but she certainly has a plan up her sleeve. Now this doesn’t mean that she forgives Peter for what he’s done, but with the Harbinger Foundation closing in, the safety of her family is at risk. The first story arc painted a nice picture of Harada’s Harbinger Foundation as saviours for individuals with psychic abilities, kind of like Charles Xavier’s School For Mutants (now it’s the Jean Grey School). By this point, the Harbinger Foundation is nothing more then a bunch global bullies & control freaks, so the story takes an interesting turn.

A character I thought is handled well is Faith (her new codename is Zephyr), sure she’s a little annoying, but in a comic book world where every super heroine has a skimpy outfit & large breasts with a model like figure, here comes a perky & obese teenage girl who looks more like your average American teen than what were fed in comics, movies & TV these days. Like Kris says “It’s so strange the way she moves. All that weight… light as a feather”.

My only beef is the new penciller Phil Briones. He’s not a terrible illustrator by any means, but taking over the drawing duties of Khari Evans is a tough act to follow. With the help of Lewis Larosa, Evans illustrations really gave this series a sense of excitement and gave the characters life with every amazing panel & page.

The Outcome

I wasn’t completely blown away by this new direction, but all in all an enjoyable enough issue and a story arc that took me by surprise.