The Ravagers #9
Fathers
I really enjoyed the last issue of The Ravagers which finally gave some development to two of the series lead antagonists, Rose Wilson and Warblade. At the end of the issue, The Ravagers finally appeared on the scene, and it looked like things were about to get cranked up a notch. The Ravagers might be a dead series walking right now, but perhaps it can deliver a few great issues before getting canceled. Does this series manage to get things right in its final days, or was last months' glimmer of hope nothing but a passing illusion.
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In this issue, Fairchild tries to save Rose, Warblade takes on a new metahuman, and the rest of The Ravagers try to return the prodigal daughter.
Too Many Characters
I'm afraid this issue did not satisfy like the last, and the reason is pretty obvious, there are simply too many characters running around and doing too many things to give any one story any real development. The last issue worked because it was focused strictly on Rose and Warblade. When the rest of The Ravagers are added to the mix, it just dilutes the story too much and leaves the rest of the story a bit of a mess.
Half The Ravagers are just looking to kill Rose and Warblade which does not mesh well with the more important goal of saving the town. Rose is still holding a grudge against Fairchild though it is really difficult to understand why Rose cannot see she is working for someone who is pure evil. I can't tell if Rose is supposed to be under some spell or chemical hypnosis which makes her loyal to Harvest, but her whole motivation is confounding at this point. The plot arc about the local sheriff is handled fine, but it ends without any clear resolution. The entire nature of the plague is not clarified and it amounts to nothing more than fantasy nonsense. Two new metahumans are discovered in this issue, yet there is no clear explanation of their powers. The daughter in the story is a huge brat, and it feels like there really needed to be some explanation for why she was so unreasonable. I mean, this goes beyond usual teenage rebellion. A lot of these plot elements could have been good, but it all felt like it was rushed in this issue.
Warblade Is My Very Favorite Murderer
Warblade was definitely the high point of the issue. Whereas Rose kind of takes a backseat to the rest of The Ravagers and does nothing other than whine about betrayal, Warblade still showed some significant development; he is a very interesting character, and part of me would like to see him get his own series. He continues to be extremely funny, and he demonstrates some considerable intelligence as well.
Teasing the Future
Solicits have made it clear that Deathstroke is coming in the next few issues, and after that, the series should soon be ending, (Spoiler) but it was interesting that the arc ended by implying that Harvest would turn on Rose and Warblade. I am not a fan of Harvest as a villain, but at the same time, it would give me some resolution if he were killed in the final arc of the story.
Conclusion 7/10
This issue maintains some good elements from the last, but it just feels watered down and rushed in its attempt to fit too many characters in too little space. If you are a big fan of The Ravagers or Warblade, you should pick it up, but everybody else might want to flip through some pages before laying down the cash.
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