Harbinger Wars #2 Discussion

[Keith]

Holey Moley... I burned through that sucker. This issue moves at 100 mph!! Valiant wasn't kidding when they announced this as "The Main Event."

The Harada/Bloodshot fight was simply brutal, found myself wincing when BS was <ahem> reintroduced to the ground. And what an interesting development once BS shorted out Harada's abilities... no need for Botox, Rogaine or Just For Men... someone has a psychic projection of his own going on.

So when are Pete and the Renegades going to really get involved?

[pixierosa]

Oh wow. Wow. WOW. Excellent read.

Those kids - I know they've had a rough, insular life, but it's a pity that they feel no remorse for the lives of anyone but themselves. That inclination is going to make it difficult - they can't be trusted on their own, especially Christian. That makes me sad. Enjoyed getting to know them better, tho. Same goes for Bloodshot's kids. Different abilities and a slightly different mindset than Christian's group. They want to survive but they don't seem as callous about the lives of others - they're not rushing to engage. Of course, we didn't get to see how they'd react to policemen trying to protect them, but I get a different feel from them in general.

The battle. Wow. Ick. Illuminating. The ending, and what Harada does - what a *SQUEE*. The series started off with him being a bit of a gray area - not easily definable. I'm ready for Pete to take the bastid out.

[Keith]

Oh wow. Wow. WOW. Excellent read.

The battle. Wow. Ick. Illuminating. The ending, and what Harada does - what a *SQUEE*. The series started off with him being a bit of a gray area - not easily definable. I'm ready for Pete to take the bastid out.

I wonder if this might make Ion question his allegiances. In the course of the battle, he saw the usually well concealed sides of Harada. You'd think he would be a bit disillusioned after that.

[Keith]

"Or, the far more reasonable option is you accept that H.A.R.D Corps is as of this moment, reactivated, and come with me."

[first_citizenx]

I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to seeing what the HARD Corps does in the next issue.

[blujay]

Well that was insane. I felt bad for Saturn, and those Arab guys who just wanted to party. Some of the kids seem pretty ruthless I wonder if any of them will end up as bad guys.

"Let me guess, PRS is run by a bunch of frat boys" I'm liking Palmer already, can't wait to see the HardCorps in action.

One thing that kind of bugged me though, is that not all of the kids were listed on the info page (shadow/maggie jim). Other than that this issue was intense and incredibly entertaining. This has been a really good week for Valiant

[Burrito Boy]

Why bother listing the ones who are going to die?

[nonplayer]

I read HW2 on my lunch break. After droping off comics to my pizza view. What really stuck out for me, and this is just from a quick read. Is.
Blood shot got his face peeled off. OMG!
"You ran over blood shot" lol
I dont really think meny of thease kids care or are worried about people. The blond hoe "hhhh helpe mmme"
True true the cops prime example!
Im seeing the kids are in groups already. I love the chick who can see stuff and the guy shes with is one smart cookie.
I cant wait for the next bloodshot now im looking forward to seeing how the writer plays bloodshots part of it.
Great issue! 10/10 no creases seen. yet!

[Mandrakk]

Loved the issue,can't wait for the next one.I really appreciated the Harada Protocol,makes me wonder what else is to be found in Bloodshot's Nanites.heh wonder how many kids the Corps will kill,heh maybe we will have a surprise and they shall kill none and perhaps even help them,now that would surprise me.

[jmatt]

Holy *SQUEE*, that was off the hook. Harbinger Wars is the best they've put out to date. I'm going back tomorrow to buy another copy.

I loved the Harada Protocol, where Bloodshot "gets off" on killing Harada. And the faceless look for him was awesome, makes him look truly insane. Anyone else notice that the words "synaptic disruption" are trademarked right in the script?

The infectious attack, the knife in the gut... just balls to the wall action. And he triggers those uber claymores and lands in a splat. Then the kids run him over with the tank (more of an IFV actually)... the thing is just parked on his chest.

Harada then wastes one of his own to save his sorry arse. Nice little segue for the Hard Corps, too.

And Dysart, as always, handles a story with many characters with great aplomb. Art was fantastic! And the back-up story (it transcends a "teaser" imo) has me even more excited for a&A #0; I'm buying ten of those!

[BugsySig]

This was SOOOOOO good.

The Harada Protocol! Awesome

Toyo killing that Saturn chick Sick

HARD Corps!

And in roll Pete and the Renegades...I wish this crossover was 6 or 8 months long instead of 4...It's so *SQUEE* good...

Oh, and the A&A #0 Preview was great. So ready for that next week!

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

All comics should be drawn by Clayton Henry. I don't know if I can read any that aren't after that!
Awesome intro to Gunslinger Also really dug the last panel with the renegades coming in. Can't wait for the Generation Zero/ Renegades confrontation!
So, did Harada get rid of all of Bloodshot's nanites? That's it? Over? Done? Caput? No mas? Seeing him kill Saturn really starts to paint a picture of who he really is.
I LOVE the cartoon animals! I hope they don't kill her, as someone alluded to, since she wasn't listed on the first page.
I also noticed that Bloodshot's kids are more "mental" type powers, while Generation Zero's kids have more physical type abilities. Anyone else notice that?
Loving where this is all going. Worst part is having to wait for the next issue!

[lorddunlow]

And in roll Pete and the Renegades...I wish this crossover was 6 or 8 months long instead of 4...It's so *SQUEE* good...

This. +1 million.

[Zaphod]

I didn't really enjoy this issue all that much. I read it before I checked out Shadowman #0, so there is no influence there but something about the formatting of the book kept me from finding a good pacing.

Part of it was the constant attempts to explain all of these kids, part of it might have been the fact that some of the "abilities" were just...inane, imo.

Flier: Employs a "Companion Field" allowing him to carry a single object or person in flight.

What is the point of that specific an ability and limitation?

Her conciousness can safely travel outside her body in a self-contained "psyche packet"

Does Marvel own the phrase: Astral Projection?

Projects a physically hard shell around her...

Also the boxes explaining everything that was going on during the Harada/Blooshot battle wasn't helpful and was more distracting...though I found the idea of the Harada Protocols coup de force being a "Goldies Vomit" attack to be ... I don't even have words.

I wish that Clayton Henry had managed more than the first few pages, Pere Perez' art was a letdown in contrast and it took away from what should have been the "greatest" battle in VEI to date.

2/5

[nonplayer]

11:14 in Victoria BC video game not up yet:-(

[hawkeyeps]

Great issue 4.5/5, it really delivered the goods while at the same time setting the stage.

Is Gunslinger Canadian?

Then again the book is written by a Josh so that could mean impending doom if he is

[Knightt]

Saturn.... Damn. Harada is a class A knuckle-bucket.

[Knightt]

Ican say that the return of the HARD Corps is the highlight of the relaunch for me so far.

[erwinrafael]

I wish that Clayton Henry had managed more than the first few pages, Pere Perez' art was a letdown in contrast and it took away from what should have been the "greatest" battle in VEI to date.

What? Based on what my eye tells me, Pere Perez drew two to five pages. The only pages I am sure is Perez are the Hard Corps pages. The others are the pages with the kids in the Bloodshot-Harada fight. I am pretty sure Harada vs. Bloodshot is all Henry.

On the writing, it is good but the narration is really jarring the pace. I am not a fan of the use of recollections as narration in this case.

[BugsySig]

I wish that Clayton Henry had managed more than the first few pages, Pere Perez' art was a letdown in contrast and it took away from what should have been the "greatest" battle in VEI to date.

What? Based on what my eye tells me, Pere Perez drew two to five pages. The only pages I am sure is Perez are the Hard Corps pages. The others are the pages with the kids in the Bloodshot-Harada fight. I am pretty sure Harada vs. Bloodshot is all Henry.

On the writing, it is good but the narration is really jarring the pace. I am not a fan of the use of recollections as narration in this case.

I saw the same as erwinrafael on second read. On the first read, I didn't even realize it wasn't Henry in those scenes.

I like the narrative for the sake of the potential new reader or those who are not reading one or both of the tie in books. It allows for some quick exposition which, to those who read the titles involved, can seem to slow the pace. I also expect a big payoff related to that debriefing...not sure what yet, but I don't think Dysart would use it just as a narrative device.

[erwinrafael]

I wish that Clayton Henry had managed more than the first few pages, Pere Perez' art was a letdown in contrast and it took away from what should have been the "greatest" battle in VEI to date.

What? Based on what my eye tells me, Pere Perez drew two to five pages. The only pages I am sure is Perez are the Hard Corps pages. The others are the pages with the kids in the Bloodshot-Harada fight. I am pretty sure Harada vs. Bloodshot is all Henry.

On the writing, it is good but the narration is really jarring the pace. I am not a fan of the use of recollections as narration in this case.

I saw the same as erwinrafael on second read. On the first read, I didn't even realize it wasn't Henry in those scenes.

Perez and Henry are actually good complements. In A&A #3, it was even harder telling which of the pages are Perez!

[Zaphod]

Then the quality of his art dropped off severely 5 pages in. I wanted to be into the book, which is why I read it first but...didn't happen for me. Glad you all enjoyed it.

The HARD Corps was interesting, saying they were de-commisioned in the 90's, was that a nod to the original Valiant Universe?

[apainter]

I loved the fight between Harada and Bloodshot. Very brutal. I think PRS stole the vomit attack from Armstrong.

I wonder if Stronghold is the least bit uneasy with his boss after seeing him kill Saturn. Maybe not, considering Eddie's the one who murdered Joe. (I wondered what the code name "Saturn" had to do with her powers, but then I realized she creates swirling debris rings around her, like the rings of the planet.)

I liked the identifying caption boxes, but I hated the "Let's get ready to ruuuummmble!" intro. Too cheesy. I guess it fits for Vegas though.

One other thing: the inside cover info sheets are great, but I don't like when they reveal information that hasn't appeared in the story yet. The term "Generation Zero" and the fact they take over the Bellagio are revealed in the inside cover, but we don't see them take over the Bellagio until the opening pages, and the name "Generation Zero" hasn't been used anywhere else yet.

(Also, the concept of "Eggbreakers" hasn't been properly introduced yet. The Eggbreakers got exactly one mention in issue 4. If you want to know what an eggbreaker is, well, you won't find out in the story, but in the inside cover of HW 1.)

The "Zygos twins", James and Katherine, re-established mental contact, but why did James call her Maggie?

Art

[bygranddesign]

Very good issue ... but probably my least favorite overall from the Harbinger War's crossover. The pacing felt a little disjointed at times, and Chronus/Generation Zero garner a little less sympathy from me when they kill a police officer without trying to subdue the threat first. They had a plan of creating a projection that the Hotel was taken over by paramilitary - why show that kill scene other then trying to show off the little girls power? I know they were bred to be killers and they are like wild children on the loose ... but I wished they displayed a little more realization of right and wrong.

I did love the Harada Protocal - absolutely worth the price of admission. One of the best fight scenes EVER.
I loved seeing the brutality of Harada as he transfused the infected blood into saturn and kills her. I'd love to have seen the "Goldies" as they were killing Harada from the inside ... and then seen their reaction as they enter Saturn and then the host is killed. I'm guessing that the Goldies die with the host. So much to understand with these nanites - its pretty interesting how it works.

One moment I question with those scenes was why Bloodshot was confused that Harada's true form was "older". Doesn't the rest of the world know Harada as being an old man? Maybe Bloodshot only knows him as looking young? You would think the nanites in his blood would know everything and relay that info to Bloodshot but maybe the "Goldies" keep him in the dark about certain things?

Overall ... 7/10 - another great issue.

One other thing: the inside cover info sheets are great, but I don't like when they reveal information that hasn't appeared in the story yet. The term "Generation Zero" and the fact they take over the Bellagio are revealed in the inside cover, but we don't see them take over the Bellagio until the opening pages, and the name "Generation Zero" hasn't been used anywhere else yet.

I love the inside cover info - but I agree that it was strange that "Generation Zero" was mentioned there before it's been mentioned within the comic itself. I think they want to get the name out there for readers to digest because it may be a title in the future.

The "Zygos twins", James and Katherine, re-established mental contact, but why did James call her Maggie?

Art

the perils of too many characters that its hard to keep up with who is who?

[lorddunlow]

.



the perils of too many characters that its hard to keep up with who is who?

Her full name is Katherine Anne Alafair Margaret Jones