The Good
Mikey takes down the Ward and heads off with Brennan, while his father returns to meet up with Mikey's mother. We get a lot more conversation between Mikey and the pressense that has pull over him. We haven't seen much of it at all in this series, and it's a pretty cool scene towards the end of the issue. It leaves the reader wanting a lot more from this part of the story.
The key to BIRTHRIGHT is the balance between all the characters and stories threaded throughout the series. There is a lot going on, but writer Joshua Williamson doesn't make this book feel like it has “story overload” going on. The transitions between stories and moments are very organic and it feels like this book has more of a mind of its own rather than a writer leading the way. The bookending with the scenes from Mikey's past are perfect for the issues as they give the reader insight into what happened to him, while keeping the focus on present day. All-in-all, this series is executed extremely well.
This issue has an incredible turn (spoilers ahoy!) as right before the Ward dies, he shows Brennan that there's more to Mikey than he knows. It's early on in the series and I didn't think something like this would happen this soon. I thought Williamson would toy with the reader a bit longer, which makes this reveal pretty startling. However, there's no indication that Brennan believes the Ward.
The art team provides some awe inspiring art that moves the story along very well. Arist Andrei Bressan and colorist Adriano Lucas have really put their stamp on this book. The action sequences are suspenseful and thrilling and their creature and world designs look amazing. These two artists are truly engineers of this world.
The final page of this issue is unexpected but is a really cool moment for the reader. Without spoiling anything, it allows the leader to connect the dots in the book and let's them know a few things that happened recently just by the stance of the character in the final shot and by what they say. In addition, it's a great hook for the reader to keep reading this book.
The Bad
I really wish we could have seen a bit more of this story through Brennan's eyes, especially after the Ward shows him the truth about Mikey and the reason is because Brennan just seems to ignore what the Ward told him and accepts Mikey for who he is. Understandably, Mikey is his blood, but it doesn't seem like that moment really phased him too much later on in the issue, which would add a lot to the story. His reaction just doesn't feel believable.
The Verdict
What keeps people coming back to BIRTHRIGHT, and the reason more people should jump on this book, is for the storytelling. It's familiar yet completely alien at the same time. It has elements many people have seen in fantasy films, but it takes it to the next level. We get a great turn in this issue and an even better final page that will keep readers hooked in who have been on the series since the first issue. Just as important is the top tier art coming out of this book. As far as full creative teams go, this group is phenomenal and delivers yet another amazing issue of this series.
5 Comments