Harbinger #18 Discussion

[greg]

[Aomalle27]

Another solid issue from the Harbinger team. I like that it brings to the forefront the problems people on the forum have addressed along the lines of Harada being over used. The mind squall element, and the delving into the chaos that can be unleashed should Harada have a "melt down", are all interesting, and quite frankly more entertaining in this issue than the furthering of Torquehalla. All told, this issue just does it for me. Not a mindblowing issue like 17, or 15, but definitely A+ quality. And in light of last weeks VEI duds (Q&W especially) this was A++++.

[BugsySig]

Another awesome issue. I love how Dysart came really close to breaking the 4th wall there...hilarious. And there definitely seems to be something brewing between Kris and Flamingo.

[hunter_peterson]

Another awesome issue. I love how Dysart came really close to breaking the 4th wall there...hilarious. And there definitely seems to be something brewing between Kris and Flamingo.

Yeah, which is pretty awesome. And I loved how Torque's imaginary world picked up on it in the least subtle way possible. HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION!

I also really liked how Harada's omnipresence was problematized here. It's similar to Jason Aaron's first Wolverine short story, where it shows how insanely and unhealthily busy he is. Which is cool. Ingrid is kind of a *SQUEE* in the same way Harada is, too. Wants something good, goes about it like a monster. Great stuff!

Oh, and Rossmo's dream segments were fantastic. Especially when Peter realized what was going on and, possibly, struck back at the weakened Harada. Can't wait to see him unleashed next issue!

[BugsySig]

Another awesome issue. I love how Dysart came really close to breaking the 4th wall there...hilarious. And there definitely seems to be something brewing between Kris and Flamingo.

Yeah, which is pretty awesome. And I loved how Torque's imaginary world picked up on it in the least subtle way possible. HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION!

I also really liked how Harada's omnipresence was problematized here. It's similar to Jason Aaron's first Wolverine short story, where it shows how insanely and unhealthily busy he is. Which is cool. Ingrid is kind of a *SQUEE* in the same way Harada is, too. Wants something good, goes about it like a monster. Great stuff!

Oh, and Rossmo's dream segments were fantastic. Especially when Peter realized what was going on and, possibly, struck back at the weakened Harada. Can't wait to see him unleashed next issue!

Harada is such a *SQUEE* though..."Your's is a soft science"...Da-a-yum! In yo face, Gretchen!

[blujay]

Another awesome issue. I love how Dysart came really close to breaking the 4th wall there...hilarious. And there definitely seems to be something brewing between Kris and Flamingo.

Yeah, which is pretty awesome. And I loved how Torque's imaginary world picked up on it in the least subtle way possible. HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION!

I also really liked how Harada's omnipresence was problematized here. It's similar to Jason Aaron's first Wolverine short story, where it shows how insanely and unhealthily busy he is. Which is cool. Ingrid is kind of a *SQUEE* in the same way Harada is, too. Wants something good, goes about it like a monster. Great stuff!

Oh, and Rossmo's dream segments were fantastic. Especially when Peter realized what was going on and, possibly, struck back at the weakened Harada. Can't wait to see him unleashed next issue!

Harada is such a *SQUEE* though..."Your's is a soft science"...Da-a-yum! In yo face, Gretchen!

*Ingrid

But yes it was an awesome issue. And I really like how interconnected these books are all becoming.

[BugsySig]

Another awesome issue. I love how Dysart came really close to breaking the 4th wall there...hilarious. And there definitely seems to be something brewing between Kris and Flamingo.

Yeah, which is pretty awesome. And I loved how Torque's imaginary world picked up on it in the least subtle way possible. HOT GIRL ON GIRL ACTION!

I also really liked how Harada's omnipresence was problematized here. It's similar to Jason Aaron's first Wolverine short story, where it shows how insanely and unhealthily busy he is. Which is cool. Ingrid is kind of a *SQUEE* in the same way Harada is, too. Wants something good, goes about it like a monster. Great stuff!

Oh, and Rossmo's dream segments were fantastic. Especially when Peter realized what was going on and, possibly, struck back at the weakened Harada. Can't wait to see him unleashed next issue!

Harada is such a *SQUEE* though..."Your's is a soft science"...Da-a-yum! In yo face, Gretchen!

*Ingrid

But yes it was an awesome issue. And I really like how interconnected these books are all becoming.

eh, six of one Scandinavian *SQUEE*, half dozen of another

[jmatt]

Another great issue. Sorting out my bet with Dunlow is gonna be a spelunking expedition into semantics.

Kris didn't actually kill Torque in real life. I win no matter what else happens.

Kris does kill him in dream world. Dunlow wins? Does death in a dream state count?

The team breaks free of the stasis tubes, Torque decides to stay in Torquehalla. He in essence kills himself. I win?

The team breaks free of the stasis tubes, Torque is unable to take possession of his physical form because his psyche believes him to have died as Kris' hand. Dunlow wins?

[Bl00dsh0t]

You can really see the Valiant U coming together. A nice reference to Unity #1, Bloodshot & HARD Corps #15 by virtue of a breakdown of Harada's schedule.

Another great issue from Dysart

[bygranddesign]

Loved Unity

But I loved Harbinger even more

I cannot wait to see how this bad boy wraps up - it might challenge renegades and far far away as best storyline.

And JMatt I think you won .. But maybe see how it plays out in the conclusion of the arc before officially calling it.

Btw, I love the cover art .. But disappointed Bleeding Monk was not in the issue ... Not sure what role he is playing in this arc .. Perhaps the voice Kris is hearing from the sea of woe?

[jmatt]

But maybe see how it plays out in the conclusion of the arc before officially calling it.

Oh, most definitely. I won't accept any resolution that Dunlow doesn't agree with completely.

The rumbling building... what was that? The start of Harada's mind squall? Pete fighting back against Harada? An emanation of the the gang realizing their Pete isn't the real Pete as the crazy train goes off the rails?

[Phoenix8008]

Loved this issue! Can't wait for next month for stuff to really explode! Maybe literally with Harada's mindsquall!

[Carson]

disappointed Bleeding Monk was not in the issue ... Not sure what role he is playing in this arc .. Perhaps the voice Kris is hearing from the sea of woe?

I think you are dead on here. Monk doesn't agree with Harada's tactics for keeping these kids subdued, so he's interfering and helping them break free.

Such an awesome arc. Harbinger is still my favorite series, and the margin is growing.

[Bl00dsh0t]

disappointed Bleeding Monk was not in the issue ... Not sure what role he is playing in this arc .. Perhaps the voice Kris is hearing from the sea of woe?

I think you are dead on here. Monk doesn't agree with Harada's tactics for keeping these kids subdued, so he's interfering and helping them break free.

Such an awesome arc. Harbinger is still my favorite series, and the margin is growing.

I was excited to see Bleeding Monk on the cover - a great image and one of the best looking covers imho - same, only drawback from this issue was the lack of the Bleeding Monk.

[pixierosa]

I'm inclined to believe the Bleeding Monk is the man behind the curtain so to speak.

We were talking about this last night, and I went into a bit of a long-winded conspiracy theory, but thinking back to the issue where Pete leaves the Foundation in search of Joe....

1. "Joe" was supposedly reaching out to him mentally, but the theory was that his powers were being blocked. Joe basically points out how lame the situation is and that he thinks he's visiting Pete because something is wrong.

2. Pete's leaving is what set the plan in motion to kill Joe, thus driving Pete back to an understanding and accepting Harbinger Foundation. No one would be left for him out there in the big bad world.

3. If #2 above is true, then it wasn't Joe's overdosing (or threatening by the goon squad) that sent the psychic Joe to see Pete. It likely wasn't Joe at all. If anyone, it was the Bleeding Monk, getting Pete to do what he wanted him to do, leave the foundation. And of course BM would know, seeing the future as he does, what the result would be -- the death of Joe and *SQUEE* hitting the fan.

4. I also think BM had been in contact with Livewire, either directly or unbeknownst to her, influencing her opinion. She offered nothing but a flimsy excuse to Pete as to why she let him escape - because he's a pain in the *SQUEE*, etc. She tells Harada that she betrayed him in battle because he needs someone to balance him. Now she might have come to these conclusions on her own, but she is indebted to Harada in many ways, given her childhood and the opportunity he has offered. Perhaps the BM suggested Harada needs someone strong enough to challenge if necessary?

I cannot wait to learn more about the BM's end game. We know he cares nothing about human deaths as long as the end justifies the means - and it's his purposes that he's working for. Not necessarily Harada's.

On a side note, where the heck is Pete's mom? We know his dad was either comatose or died due to his trying to activate latent powers, but the mom left him at the psych unit when he was 11. Is she alive? When Pete returned "home" - why didn't he look her up?

Anyway, this issue was another good one. The tie-ins with other books, Pete's dream, some laughs over the Torquehalla dialogue, and we know what they had planned for the renegades (death by lab rat).... Looking forward to the conclusion of this arc. The solicitations for the upcoming months look great.

I still love Kris, even though she looks *SQUEE* crazy in the last panel.

[Bl00dsh0t]

Had a quick look through this again - we're left waiting another month to see what happens with Anamalia! Her physical constructs were about to break her free. Shame to see that put on the back-burner. Hopefully Dysart revists Anamalia in Harbinger #19.

[jmatt]

I still love Kris, even though she looks *SQUEE* crazy in the last panel.

+1 Dysart is an expert at getting me excited for the next issue.

[Phoenix8008]

BM

[Insert annoying Beavis and Butthead laughs here] Hehe... hehehe... You said BM! He...hehehe![End annoying Beavis & Butthead laughs]

I'll go ahead and just apoligize here and now instead of taking it to the apology thread, but I COULDN'T stop myself.

[bygranddesign]

Great points pixie

I really think you might be on to something especially the scene where fake joe visits Peter in the foundation ... That was never explained.

Me thinks Bleeding Monk #0 might be one of the most important issues of the relaunch so far ... I think the *SQUEE* is going to hit the fan

[blujay]

disappointed Bleeding Monk was not in the issue ... Not sure what role he is playing in this arc .. Perhaps the voice Kris is hearing from the sea of woe?

I think you are dead on here. Monk doesn't agree with Harada's tactics for keeping these kids subdued, so he's interfering and helping them break free.

Such an awesome arc. Harbinger is still my favorite series, and the margin is growing.

I was excited to see Bleeding Monk on the cover - a great image and one of the best looking covers imho - same, only drawback from this issue was the lack of the Bleeding Monk.

Seriously, VEI covers are way too misleading

[pixierosa]

BM

[Insert annoying Beavis and Butthead laughs here] Hehe... hehehe... You said BM! He...hehehe![End annoying Beavis & Butthead laughs]

I'll go ahead and just apoligize here and now instead of taking it to the apology thread, but I COULDN'T stop myself.

No apology needed. I walked right into that one, and I've got a couple of kids who routinely use the "pull my finger" joke.

[pixierosa]

Me thinks Bleeding Monk #0 might be one of the most important issues of the relaunch so far ... I think the *SQUEE* is going to hit the fan

I'm so excited for this! He's shrouded in a lot of mystery. Who knows how long he waited until the right time to contact Harada as a youth...then guide him to doing certain things while also plotting against those actions he doesn't want Harada to take.

Be interesting to have him meet Ivar, considering what we learned about his time in the time stream prison (all possible futures).

[lorddunlow]

I definitely liked this issue better than Unity, but this week couldn't be more opposite of last week's suck fest. VEI at it's best this week, for sure.

I really hope we see a mind Squall unshielded - incapacitate everyone except Pete - I get the feeling we're about to see that Destroyer the Bleeding Monk was referring to. Buckle up folks, we're about to go for a ride, I'm sure of it.

Me thinks Bleeding Monk #0 might be one of the most important issues of the relaunch so far ... I think the *SQUEE* is going to hit the fan

I'm so excited for this! He's shrouded in a lot of mystery. Who knows how long he waited until the right time to contact Harada as a youth...then guide him to doing certain things while also plotting against those actions he doesn't want Harada to take.

Be interesting to have him meet Ivar, considering what we learned about his time in the time stream prison (all possible futures).

I know no one liked that Bloodshot #0 brought up more questions than it answered, but I hope Bleeding Monk #0 is equally not forthcoming with all of the answers. I want the Bleeding Monk to remain a mystery while we still get his character fleshed out. I said it in another thread, but it would be so awesome if it showed some of his premonitions - maybe even his intended endgame.

He's definitely my favorite VEI character.

But maybe see how it plays out in the conclusion of the arc before officially calling it.

Oh, most definitely. I won't accept any resolution that Dunlow doesn't agree with completely.

I definitely think you're going to be the recipient of a Harby Gold from me soon, but there is still a chance that Torque dies in the chamber or is stuck inside his mind forever as a vegetable. I say if his physical body dies - I win, but anything else happens, you win. Deal?

[Phoenix8008]

BM

[Insert annoying Beavis and Butthead laughs here] Hehe... hehehe... You said BM! He...hehehe![End annoying Beavis & Butthead laughs]

I'll go ahead and just apoligize here and now instead of taking it to the apology thread, but I COULDN'T stop myself.

No apology needed. I walked right into that one, and I've got a couple of kids who routinely use the "pull my finger" joke.

Thanks for understanding. And on a less sophomoric level, I love your theory about the Bleeding Monk being behind Pete's vision of Joe and maybe also being 'the voice in the sea' Kris is hearing. That would mean that he has some mental powers beyond just being a precog though (and ya'know, not dying from a continual sucking chest wound). How interesting.

[hunter_peterson]

Another possible Bleeding Monk-Sea Lion potential link is that they are closely associated with liquid. BM lives like a man wading through a sea of blood, literally and metaphorically. It would make sense that his voice would come from the ocean. And if he WAS ghost Joe, then he's disguised himself before for similar purposes.

And dunlow, I loved how Bloodshot raised more questions in answering others.