Armor Hunters: Harbinger #3 Discussion

[Keith]

My favorite of all the AH tie ins ends on a triumphant note. What really felt as just a side story to the main AH event, now get's looped in as vitally important. The bugs were uber-gross, and Cloud really shined this issue. Sadly, no further revelations around the fetus psiot, and the whole thing just ends with a semi-"to be continued."

I hold out hope that we will see more of Generation Zero over the next several months, ad these kids be developed for further minis or a possible ongoing.

[BugsySig]

Thought this was a great issue. I would buy a Gen Zero series.

I don't thing the fetus was a bug, but I could be wrong. I think the artist was just trying to show one of the bugs inside her stomach. This plus the explosion activated her powers. Still not sure if the baby or mother is the Psiot, though.

[bygranddesign]

Loved this issue - thought it was epic, well written(as expected) and absolutely stunning art from Gill.

This was more than just a side skirmish tie-in - Cloud/Gen Zero saved the earth.

Loved the scenes with the Mexican president and the secret service guy that saved him and sacrificed himself - a nice little sub plot that resonated.

Yeah Dysart really didn't get too deeply into the pregnant women this issue - definitely a plot point that will be developed in the future. And sounds like we will be getting more Gen Zero in the future! so excited - this conclusion to this arc was amazing - if the rest of the AH titles end anywhere close to this good - this crossover will be huge win.

[pixierosa]

What a great issue! This book was a major event in the saga. Also lots of good character deepening. I appreciated hearing Christian's internal monologue - it helped make him more human - at times he comes off cold as ice. This should increase the empathy that readers feel for him.

Those bugs were gnarly. What I liked was that as I started reading the opening monologue, it was hard to tell whether the speaker was referring to the insects or to Gen Zero at first. It drew a great parallel to their situation. Both groups (insects and Zero) were nothing but soldiers in someone else's army, fighting someone else's battles. Another parallel was how the insects could be issued a command to basically die - just like bombs in the Zero kids' heads. Very nice, Mr. Dysart.

I figured that Cloud, with her expanding abilities, would somehow be able to stop the swarm. I wasn't expecting the self-terminate decision. Wonder how that affected her, having been part of a hive and feeling it die.

Intrigued by the pregnant woman. It will be a while before we get more Gen Zero, but I'm looking forward to it.

Liked the overall message of our collective consciousness and connection.

[nonplayer]

Excellent story. Amazing art this book had it wll. I would like to see a bad entity come out of that woman another harada.

[hawkeyeps]

TELIC! BAM!!

What a great pay off issue and great development of Gen Zero, without looking at reference I am going to see how many Gen Zero characters I can name from memory.

Cronus
Telic
Titan
Ramsey
Zygos twins
Anamalia
Cloud
Astral
Traveller
Hive

No way I could have done that when they debuted in Harbinger Wars so good job building out the characters and making them memorable. I think the next mission should be finding Hive (Astral) and Traveller.

Hey I just thought of something- Where is that Little Castle Isiah kid with the glasses and the force field? Or what about the picnic family kid? Or the eye ball popping kid?

[David_Cody]

Loved this issue in every way. From start to finish the writing and art was heart-felt and engrossing. Everything I come to expect with VEI and Josh. I am still going with the unborn child is the psiot and not the Mom. That could be a great sub-plot. Perhaps even the baby was able to active the Mom.

[grendeljd]

Fantastic issue, great writing & art once again. This mini has been my personal favourite story within the entire Armor Hunters epic, and it was very cool to see it turn out to be of greater importance in the end as well. I really liked how understated that importance was, too - it was kind of a slow build to discover all the implications of the attack on Mexico, but even once it reached a fevered pitch in this issue it was really only a brilliant bit of abstract conceptual dialogue from Cloud that described & presented the solution. No forced epic scale 'this is the big finish, everyone battle the big evil guy' scenario that generates a hollow sense of dire circumstances - this was very compelling stuff!

Imagine if that swarm had managed to spread... The fact that it was intended to scourge the earth of all life also holds huge implications and adds depth to Primary Reebo's character too, without ever needing to have him appear in the tale. This guy was willing to just wipe out the earth at the drop of a hat when they did not simply give in to his initial demands. Very extreme!

The character development once again was top notch, I really dig these Gen Zero kids. And overall, I just love Dysarts sci-fi concepts that he works into Harbinger, specifically here how he addresses each psiot ability & the horrific mechanics of how those insectile weapons worked. Loved the scene where the Mexican President was locked into the Medbot by the soldier - at that point I was seriously wondering how the story was going to wrap up, and didn't entirely expect to have a resolution to that by the end.

Can't wait to see what Josh has up his sleeve for the future of Harbinger.

[BugsySig]

TELIC! BAM!!

What a great pay off issue and great development of Gen Zero, without looking at reference I am going to see how many Gen Zero characters I can name from memory.

Cronus
Telic
Titan
Ramsey
Zygos twins
Anamalia
Cloud
Astral
Traveller
Hive

No way I could have done that when they debuted in Harbinger Wars so good job building out the characters and making them memorable. I think the next mission should be finding Hive (Astral) and Traveller.

Hey I just thought of something- Where is that Little Castle Isiah kid with the glasses and the force field? Or what about the picnic family kid? Or the eye ball popping kid?

I'd have to go back and check, but in think little castle disappeared after an explosion at the end of HW. Not sure about the others...maybe some were moved to other HGC facilities after HW?

[depluto]

I think Generation Zero is OK, but I like it much more when Dysart focuses on the Renegades. I realize that can't be all to the Harbinger storyline but it's just my favorite part. That said, this was a really cool way to wrap up this part of the Armor Hunters story. Now it's time for Aric to kick some *SQUEE*.

[ilzuccone]

i'm more interested in gen zero than unity.

also i would be interested in less "hard light." seems like there's a lot of that going on.

[apainter]

Hey I just thought of something- Where is that Little Castle Isiah kid with the glasses and the force field? Or what about the picnic family kid? Or the eye ball popping kid?

Little Castle was last seen knocking Manic off the Bellagio, sending the PRS gunship falling on top of them. Kris said that she thinks he's dead, but there was no body, and he has that force field...

No idea of Graham (the kid with the family) or eyeball/floor dissolving kid.

There were also two kids, Howl and Eliphas, that appear in the rosters of the HW issues, but Howl never did anything much of use, and I don't think Eliphas ever appeared outside of that roster.

Question: what kind of code name is Ramsey? The kid with the light powers is "Ian. Codename Ramsey." Ramsey sounds more like a surname than a codename. I can't figure out the meaning.

Art

[apainter]

i'm more interested in gen zero than unity.

+1. Kids with superpowers raised as living weapons I can understand. Assassins dressed in purple ninja suits and passing up guns in favor of esoteric weapons confuse me.

also i would be interested in less "hard light." seems like there's a lot of that going on.

It's just the explanation du jour for creating objects out of nothing. IMO, it's marginally better than, say, the Marvel Universe explanation, where the Hulk and Giant Man create mass out of nothing (or pull it in from "an unknown, possibly extradimensional source", if I remember by Marvel Handbooks correctly.)

Art

[jmatt]

Wow. Just wow. What a fantastic issue. A freight train of action and peril.

I absolutely love AH, Dysart and Gen Zero. Great scripting and characters. Gill's art is outstanding.

Remember when I pointed out the "mouth" attack last month?

I have to be honest: AH is starting to rival VH1 Unity in awesomeness.

[nonplayer]

Robert Gill's work was outstanding. I woukd like to see him and Dysart making more harbinger comics.

[ilzuccone]

i'm more interested in gen zero than unity.

+1. Kids with superpowers raised as living weapons I can understand. Assassins dressed in purple ninja suits and passing up guns in favor of esoteric weapons confuse me.

also i would be interested in less "hard light." seems like there's a lot of that going on.

It's just the explanation du jour for creating objects out of nothing. IMO, it's marginally better than, say, the Marvel Universe explanation, where the Hulk and Giant Man create mass out of nothing (or pull it in from "an unknown, possibly extradimensional source", if I remember by Marvel Handbooks correctly.)

Art

ha don't get me wrong i love the individual characters in unity. i just don't get why they are running around together…

wouldn't mind some powers to just be.. hey i make big monsters when i'm scared. not everything needs an explanation or when you do explain it lets mix it up a bit.

NIT PICKING! it's a great book. the fact that these are my problems is a good sign.

[BugsySig]

Hey I just thought of something- Where is that Little Castle Isiah kid with the glasses and the force field? Or what about the picnic family kid? Or the eye ball popping kid?

Little Castle was last seen knocking Manic off the Bellagio, sending the PRS gunship falling on top of them. Kris said that she thinks he's dead, but there was no body, and he has that force field...

No idea of Graham (the kid with the family) or eyeball/floor dissolving kid.

There were also two kids, Howl and Eliphas, that appear in the rosters of the HW issues, but Howl never did anything much of use, and I don't think Eliphas ever appeared outside of that roster.

Question: what kind of code name is Ramsey? The kid with the light powers is "Ian. Codename Ramsey." Ramsey sounds more like a surname than a codename. I can't figure out the meaning.

Art

Well, I believe the code name is Ramses. Ramses II was Egypts most legendary Pharaoh and known for his massive building projects. He was also considered to be related to Re, the Sun God. Hence, "hard light structures"

[jmatt]

I agree with the other poster, the "hard light" schtick is being overused.

[lorddunlow]

I have to be honest: AH is starting to rival VH1 Unity in awesomeness.

+1

Great wrap up. I still don't like Cronus, though. Telic is awesome, though.

Not much more I have to add. Art was phenomenal.

[ilzuccone]

I have to be honest: AH is starting to rival VH1 Unity in awesomeness.

+1

Great wrap up. I still don't like Cronus, though. Telic is awesome, though.

Not much more I have to add. Art was phenomenal.

haaa cronus is becoming valiant's cyclops.

[leonmallett]

An enjoyable wrap up that I have only just been able to read due to the apparent scarcity of the issue in the UK.

I like the Generation Zero kids as a whole especially Cronus, Animalia and Telic. Cloud will grow on me with more insights like this. I am not sure what the story purpose of the Zygos twins is except to be irritating - maybe they could do with more work.

I hope VEI actively do more with the Generation Zero kids, and do so under a Harbinger logo. If we are getting Bloodshot: Reborn, why not something like Harbinger: Rising, a book focused on this group trying to find their place in the world.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the sudden shedding of code-names - code-names are a trope of super-hero comics, and the story beat would have felt more impressive to me if we had seen more of a spotlight on them than previously, given that in HW they shared screen time with so many other characters. A minor point though, not a biggie.

In all, good stuff.

[Bl00dsh0t]

I'm hoping for a Harbinger: Generation Zero ongoing announcement.

In the first chaper of Harbinger we had the Renegades, in the second (mini) it was the omegas, this latest one would be good for the growth of the characters and have loads of potential stories/cross-over capacity (having been exposed to PRS, Bloodshot, Harada, Faith, Torque, HARD Corps etc.)

I could see a Harby: Gen Zero crossover event with Imperium as perpahs the launch pad for the title..

[grendeljd]

I'm hoping for a Harbinger: Generation Zero ongoing announcement.

In the first chaper of Harbinger we had the Renegades, in the second (mini) it was the omegas, this latest one would be good for the growth of the characters and have loads of potential stories/cross-over capacity (having been exposed to PRS, Bloodshot, Harada, Faith, Torque, HARD Corps etc.)

I could see a Harby: Gen Zero crossover event with Imperium as perpahs the launch pad for the title..

While it's possible we may see Gen Zero show up in Imperium, I would love to read a monthly Harby: Gen Zero book in addition to Imperium. Better two Harbinger titles per month than this current state of having two Q&W books taking up precious slots in the limited publishing schedule every month.

[lorddunlow]

Better two Harbinger titles per month than this current state of having two Q&W books taking up precious slots in the limited publishing schedule every month.

I can't QFT this enough!

[leonmallett]

I'm hoping for a Harbinger: Generation Zero ongoing announcement.
..

Me too.

It would be a shame I think if VEI don't show psiots outwith the looming shadow of Harada.