Livewire, Vol. 1: Fugitive

Livewire

by Vita Ayala, Raúl Allén (Artist), Patricia Martín (Artist)

For the first time, Livewire takes center stage!

Accomplice. Mentor. Savior. And now, Enemy of the State. Seeking to protect other vulnerable super-powered psiots like herself, Livewire plunged the United States into a nationwide blackout with her technopathic abilities, causing untold devastation. After choosing the few over the many, she must now outrun the government she served - and those she once called allies. With the whole world hunting her, what kind of hero will Livewire be...or will she be one at all?

Start reading here with the stunning new ongoing series from rising star Vita Ayala (Supergirl, Submerged) and fan-favorite artists Raul Allen (WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR) and Patricia Martin (SECRET WEAPONS) as they stand poised to launch the Valiant Universe into a new age of champions!

Collecting LIVEWIRE #1-4.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2019

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This deals with the repercussions of what happened when Livewire went all zappy and shut down the world for a minute.



She did the wrong thing for the right reasons, and kind of made it worse for everyone in the process. Or at least, made it worse for herself at present. None of the kids she was trying to help really wants much to do with her (at first), and she's got an old enemy from her days with Toyo Harada who is looking forward to killing her with a bit too much pleasure.



The art in this one looks cheap. I don't know how else to describe it. But when I look at it, I think of a second-rate comic book that's not being given much attention. Does that make sense?

Livewire is one of the more powerful characters in this world and I do love reading about her.
So for me, this was...ok. If you're a fan like I am, then you'll probably like it. Otherwise, you can give it a pass.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend you read Harbinger Wars 2 and maybe even Secret Weapons before that before venturing into Livewire. Livewire is the main protagonist in Harbinger Wars 2 and this book deals directly with the fallout of that book. In fact that's what these 4 issues are all about. Amanda McKee is now the most wanted person on the planet because of the events in Harbinger Wars 2. This is about Amanda coming to terms with the things she did and how she picks up the pieces now that she's universally hated. Raul Allen's art is OK, but I hate Patricia Martin's choice of color palettes. Each page only uses muted variations of a single color, usually purple or pink almost as if the only light source in each panel is a neon sign. It makes it really difficult to focus on the art, sometimes completely taking you out of a panel as you try to process what is happening in the action. She did the same thing in Secret Weapons and I hated it there as well.

Received a review copy from Valiant and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Trike · Rating 2 out of 5]

We join our program already in progress. Which is a bit of a problem, because I have no emotional connection to these characters.

At some point back in the 1970s or 1980s, Marvel editor Jim Shooter said, “Every issue is someone’s first issue.” Meaning writers had to figure out a way to succcinctly convey what had gone before while moving the story forward. Sometimes it was a useful but clunky one-page flashback, which eventually evolved into a couple paragraphs that began, “Previously in...” The best ones wove it into the story itself.

None of that happens here. I have no idea who these people are or what abilities they have. The text at the beginning says the Livewire is a “teletechnopath” with “unrestricted access to the digital world.” A character very similar to this was in the late, great superhero TV series Alphas. Gary could hear electronic communications and control electrical devices. (https://youtu.be/V41R4vFvYe8) Except when we meet Livewire, she’s a combination of Magneto and Superman, saving people when two planes collide in mid-air. A story moment that’s never referred to again. I don’t get that.

Eventually we learn that she crashed the entire electrical grid in the US, apparently via an EMP, killing tens of thousands of people when pacemakers quit and planes fell out of the sky. They keep hitting that gong over and over, with no real resolution to it. She keeps saying she was “protecting our kind” and saving her kids, but no one is on her side and we never see these kids.

It really just feels like a muddled version of the excellent Alphas. I don’t know what story comes before this, but this is called volume 1. Not a great jumping-on point, frankly.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

So it was only halfway through issue #1 that I actually realised this is the same Livewire from Secret Weapons, which I remember thinking was just okay.

So I also haven't read any other material that precedes this series, which proved to be a bit of a hurdle - almost everything that happens in this series seems to be a reaction to what happened previously.

I think Livewire suffers a bit from Good Guy Syndrome - she basically is kind of a dull character, and every other character (be they ally or foe) is exponentially more interesting.

That said, I did like the frank discussion she and another character have about the choices she has made in the past, facing up to the consequences and stopping to hide behind platitudes like "I had no choice".

I just hope that the following arc is more self-contained, and less about her history.

The art is okay - there are some weird jumps in mise-en-scene.

(Read as four single issues)

[Beth Tabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for my open and honest review.

This is a solid midgrade graphic novel. I wanted to like it, the premise was interesting but the execution of character, dialog, and setting was jumpy and spotty. At places, the pacing of the story seemed over-rushed while in others it crawled by. The graphics felt distracting in oversaturated colors that did nothing to further the plot. In the end, there was little in the way of ending of this particular story arc. It ended up not being the comic for me.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

I received a copy of Livewire Vol. 1 through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Livewire is a new series from Valiant Entertainment. The focus is on a single psiot and her attempt to save her people while making amends for her past. This psiot is none other than Livewire. She’s gone through so much already by the start of this volume, and that isn’t a pattern that’ll be changing anytime soon for her.


Warnings: Livewire comes up against a lot of different foes during the course of this volume. She’s a woman of color, and despite all the good she’s done, the media had no trouble painting her as a terrorist; and people believed it. She’s captured, treated worse than one would ever like to imagine, and eventually forced into an involuntary medical procedure intended to cut her powers. It’s all highly disturbing.
Livewire Vol. 1 was an interesting read, though I’ll confess that I was confused at times. I loved Livewire’s character and determination, even up against all the odds she was facing. She’s a brilliant lead for the series, and I can’t wait to see where they go with this.
I think I must have missed her introduction in another series – or at least that’s how it felt the whole time I was reading. There was backstory that I felt like I was expected to know or understand, and I got confused at a few different points because of this.
I’m more than a little curious about the other psiots that Livewire has been working so hard to protect. There’s such a major world implied during this story, and I honestly can’t wait to see more of it. What I have seen has proven to be intricate and fascinating.
I love that Livewire accepted that she’s done wrong in her past – that in her attempts to save the people she cared about, she forced other people to pay the price. I love that she’s trying to accept and atone for what she’s done. In many ways that makes her more human than the people that are pursuing her. They certainly don’t seem to have that problem.
I’m going to have to look at all of the other series out by Valiant and see if there are any tie ins for this series. I feel like there has to be something, and I desperately want to know what it is. I hope it’s as interesting as I feel like it should be.
It’ll be interesting to see where they go with this for the next volume. There’s a lot of potential here, and I for one can’t wait to see how they use it.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

However good Valiant may get – well, there's always hope they do – there will always be the problem that you have to have read 600 other issues to make sense of what's in your hand, and to be fully genned up on a hundred other franchises. This one starts with some woman who's lost the respect of her colleagues in the superhero business, and indeed that of the whole nation, for reasons we just don't get told. Unfortunately, that reason is the entire point of the plot. Think of this, then, as a lower-class Injustice, where one supe is against you-know-who, causing one – ONE – supe to be angry, and they left off the prologue that tells us why. Yup, it's that good. It really does not work as a title-launching arc. Also, it looks as if the creators had a job lot of magenta ink they needed clearing up.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was definitely one that I would read over and over again! I didn't want it to end because I loved getting to know the characters throughout the series. The artwork was very detailed and I couldn't wait to see what the next issue was going to entail.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Marvel and DC for years, you get a feel for common superhero tropes. It’s always interesting to see some other publisher putting their own spin on a superhero-themed shared universe. My introduction to Valiant Comics was reading only a handful of their titles, most notably Secret Weapons by Eric Heisserer and Raúl Allén & Patricia Martín. Amongst the eponymous gang from that comic, its leader is Amanda McKee, also known as the technopath codenamed Livewire, who now has her own limited series.

Please click here for my full review.

[Ruthsic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warnings: physical violence, themes of persecution

Rep: The main character is a black woman, and there are several secondary POC characters

Having being branded as a fugitive when trying to save her fellow psiots (I imagine it is this universe's version of mutants) and demonstrating her tremendous powers, causing a nationwide blackout, Livewire is in hiding. Her face being plastered everywhere and her being public enemy number 1, she is trying to reach out to the psiots who were her family but they too are not happy with her. Meanwhile she is being hunted by a childhood rival, and by teams of anti-psiot militia, and this can make hiding quite difficult, while also reconciling with one's actions. The story arc in this volume is about personal responsibility and the magnitude of making decisions when you have great powers. She feels guilty about the civilian deaths that happened during the blackout she caused, but she also doesn't know the entire magnitude and the personal cost to each of the survivors' and victim's families. Even so, she has to find a place within herself to come to terms with all that, and how much blame she can attribute to herself when she was pushed into a disastrous decision. It takes a while to actually understand what is going on, especially if you haven't read the blurb just before reading. So, on a plot level, it is quite a lot about the fallout, but that also means she has to face down two enemies who bring two different perspectives on the issue. The action scenes, her ingenuity, and her drive to keep fighting are well-done. The artwork is pretty good, with smooth movement and beautiful storyboards, but there were times that the color scheme made things legible. Overall, it is an interesting start to a character arc from hero to redeeming fugitive.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Valiant Entertainment LLC, via Edelweiss.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope... Big lack of originality, horrible choice of color, why does everything as to be blue or pink?, and... I said it many time, but with those kind of super-hero comic you really have to bring something of a higher level if you want to do something worth reading that hasn't been done many time, and this one doesn't!

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

Vita Ayala took on a tremendous undertaking with this book; fix the damage done to Livewire in Harbinger Wars 2. And, she succeeded. This was a great start, and I really can’t wait to continue with this series.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is book is a solid follow-up to Harbinger Wars 2. As such, it spends a lot of time dealing with Livewire's actions in that book. And I love it for actually dealing with those events and doing so in a way that fits the character. There is some new stuff in this book that deals with Livewire's past as well. I think this is actually a good place for new readers to jump into the character because it addresses both of those aspects without assuming that you know everything about the character.

I really dug the art too. For those that have read Secret Weapons, this is an extension of that miniseries. It brings in many of the same characters and makes good use of them. As much as I enjoyed certain aspects of this book, as a whole it didn't wow me. It spends a lot of time cleaning up a previous story, so it didn't really feel like it's own thing. I'm definitely interested in reading more of Livewire's story though.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this certainly felt very Valiant. Stilted, overly reliant on multiple story arcs of backstory I wasn't told I'd need to be familiar with for a single character launch. I thought it was valuable that the morality and moral authority of super-powered characters was explored, but to be honest it felt a bit trite. This just didn't work for me. Usually I try to give things two volumes before I give up on them, and I think the character has a ton of potential, but I don't know if I want to bother reading another.

[Peyton F · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty confusing jumping on point for Livewire. Although you’re introduced to her abilities and stuff, you ought to have read “Harbinger Wars 2,” at least according to another review in here, to understand her whole MO. It’s explained in flashbacks in issues 3 and 4 but these flashbacks are colored by the way Amanda perceived the moment.

I know it’s a figure of speech, but Amanda seems to refer to people that look nearly her age as her “kids” and though that might not be what is going on it also made me scratch my head a bit thinking about the ages of these characters in regards to their character designs. Or maybe these people she spends time with aren’t the “kids” she’s referring to?

Of all the valiant books I’ve read on this fixation, I think this one is the weakest of the bunch. Characters and their motivations are clear but also vague and constantly repeated. The storyline tugs Amanda around from point A to B to C to D without her making much decisions for herself. Pan, introduced in issue 3, has odd abilities that I think I get the gist of but they also are so broad it doesn’t land fully.

It also doesn’t help that my trade paperback had some printing errors during the fourth and final issue. On one page, all of the bubbles for the page were collated into one panel, shrunk down so that they were almost unreadable. Maybe it’s a copy exclusive misprint. Or, while collecting this, it existed in that state when valiant released these in floppies. If it’s the latter, this ought to have been caught two times at this point and remedied. If this was user error and not a program’s problem, it’s an interesting insight into the letterer’s process. It looks like what happened was the letterer’s program does is you make the bubbles and then place them in the proper spots. You can adjust them for sizing and all this other stuff. But, instead, the page has the dialogue all collected on one panel.

Anyway — issue 4 in general was kind of messy. Beyond this page error, there’s a moment a bit later on when a character is sitting one panel, standing the next, walking away, and then sitting again. Although our brain usually does the “closure,” as in, filling the gaps between the gutter spaces in the comic, the ordering of the art — in conjunction with the dialogue — really prevented me from doing this. It doesn’t help too that, since this is my first couple issues featuring the Livewire character, I trying to understand everything I was reading because I didn’t read previous stuff. That’s what I get for checking this out at my library, lmfao. Anything I saw with a valiant logo, I grabbed. It’s been an interesting experience but I ought to have read these in a certain order.

Not everything is gonna be a hit, and that’s okay. Frankly, it’s amazing that a comic book gets made and, at that, four issues of a comic was made. Though I didn’t like this, I’m sure I may find something from this writer I do enjoy. I wish I enjoyed this more, but I’m proud of everyone that worked on this for creating a series.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the events of Secret Weapons and Harbinger Wars 2, Livewire is on the run as Public Enemy Number One. She believes that what she did was right, and will defend her actions from all comers – which she’s going to have to, when one of her previous Harbinger Foundation buddies comes looking to collect. But with the Secret Weapons appalled by her actions and a new shadowy government agency (yes, of course, another one) out to get her, can Amanda defend herself both physically and philosophically, or will she realise that actually, she might have been wrong?

I’m honestly surprised it’s taken this long for Livewire to get a solo series. She’s been front and centre during Harbinger, Unity, and multiple crossovers, so it’s about time she got to strike out on her own. It’s a shame that she spends most of it getting her ass kicked, but that’s understandable given the position she starts in here. If you’re not familiar with Harbinger Wars 2, then writer Vita Ayala catches you up quite quickly – the Secret Weapons are a bit more of a misstep however, since it’s clear Amanda cares for them but it isn’t really explained why she likes them more than any other psiots.

The villain of the piece serves as a clever physical foil, especially given Amanda’s weakened state by the midway point of the story, but it’s really the way they challenge her actions and make her explain herself that really keeps things interesting. Any bad guy can hit the good guy in the face, but hitting her in her viewpoint, making her second guess herself? That’s a little more difficult to fight back against. While they’re probably not going to be back any time soon, Salvo definitely makes a mark on Amanda’s world, and by the end of the volume she’s in a very different place to where she started.

I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy Raul Allen and Patricia Martin’s visuals, right? Their Valiant work has been amazing, and these four issues are no exception. There’s a very Jamie McKelvie-esque look to their lines, and while there aren’t as many innovative panel layouts here, their storytelling keeps the action flowing and really highlights the emotional turmoil that Amanda is going through, with a lot of close-up shots and complex expressions that comic books are so well equipped to deal with.

Livewire’s solo series might not be what you expect – it relies a lot on previous continuity, and is a lot more about making the main character think about what she’s done than having her do anything particularly superheroic. She’s constantly on the back foot, and that makes for some uncomfortable reading at times, but it’s very clear that Ayala knows what she wants to do with Livewire, and I’m definitely on board so far.

[Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like my understanding of what was happening in this series was definitely hampered by not having read any Valiant comics about what happens before this comic starts. It's very confusing to begin with because of this, however things are cleared up quite well more towards the end of the comic, though maybe a page at the beginning catching any new readers up on what had previously happened would have helped a lot.

The character of Livewire is quite interesting, though I felt like clearly she was wrong in what she did and I didn't really understand how she couldn't see that, but a part of that comes from a lack of my understanding of the character and how she was raised and the things she's been through, so again, towards the end when we get flashbacks and we see some of that it makes more sense I still felt like I wasn't on her side until she apologised at the end and showed regret for how she acted and the deaths she'd caused, I felt like this kind of character growth was really important for the character moving forward and I think future volumes of this comic will be more enjoyable now that she's truly sorry for what she's done. So this volume wasn't super enjoyable to read but without it the character couldn't really have move forward.

This didn't feel super original to me, just from reading this volume the psiots don't seem very different to mutants and Harada seemed like he was very similar to Magneto, obviously I'm just going off the small amounts of information gleaned from this volume so I can't say that the psiots/harbingers don't have anything unique going for them, it just didn't seem to have much unique from what I saw in this volume.

I quite liked the art, and I've seen some people say they didn't like the colour choices. There's a lot of pinks and blues so sometimes the page looks like it's being lighted by a neon sign but I quite like that look.

Overall, not the easiest introduction into Valiant comics, but quite a good volume.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quizás sea por la edad, pero según entiendo, el primer fascículo de un cómic debe ser emocionante y debe engancharte para comprar los demas. Afortunadamente, Valiant regaló este tomo durante los tiempos cuando la cuarentena del COVID-19 era algo nuevo.

La historia parece estar escrita para una producción cinematográfica (serie o largometraje), la trama crece lentamente y, cual primer número, hace algunas cosas bien o mal. Lo que hace bien es presentar a los personajes de manera orgánica (pero lenta) y lo que hace mal es establecer la trama. Nos dice que está sucediendo algo con Livewire, su cabeza tiene un precio, pero como dije, solo lo dice, ni siquiera muestra flashbacks de ello. Hubiera sido útil una introducción que revelara en cual comic suceden esos hechos para poder leerlo, y así leer este como una consecuencia de este. La trama se resuelve sola… En realidad no entiendo que uso tiene leer este libro.

El dibujo no es nada especial, de hecho, parece que el trazador solo sabe dibujar gente parada porque en escenas de acción, los cuerpos se sienten toscos y no hay naturalidad de movimiento. Eso se arregla ligeramente en los demas capitulos.

No entiendo por qué tan estrictos con los colores. Entiendo que un buen colorista le pone ambiente a las escenas, pero todo este azul y rosado me distrajo tanto que no pude evitar preguntarme por qué.

Las portadas son hermosas. Muestran a Amanda de una manera surrealista combinándola con iconografía que connota un aire de ciencia ficción.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've missed a LOT of the Valiant universe, it seems. I caught the initial year or so of the rebooted line, but I had never even heard of this character until I started the volume, and that seems like a significant impediment here. The entire book is looking backward, judging Livewire's actions in the past and what they say about who she is and what her future will be.
To its credit, the book does a good job of explaining the top level issues with what Livewire did, but it really does seem like this book is focused on long-time readers who are more intimately familiar with all of the previous action, especially to understand the mindset of the character and how her actions resonate in the current circumstances.
An entire four-issue series focusing on a character coming to terms with their previous actions seems a bit excessive, but the story is fairly propulsive, using the differing circumstances to tease out different aspects of the issue. If anything the character pushes through some of the challenges thrown at her too easily, resolving challenges that seem like they could be full volumes on their own in a single issue. There's a lot of depth to the character and the situation she is in, and she seems ripe for further stories. But do yourself a favor and do the research before jumping in here.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Livewire Vol. 1: Fugitive Vol. 1' by Vita Ayala with art by Raul Allen and Patricia Martin follows the events in Harbinger Wars 2 and that's really where you should start, or this book may not make a ton of sense.

Amanda McKee, aka Livewire, has created a global EMP. Now she is the most wanted person alive. She did what she did to protect the psiots, but some think the cost was too high. When she is captured by a group and beat up, they implant her with a device to take away her powers, but can that really stop Livewire? Now she's on the run and forced to live with what she's done.

It's an interesting beginning, but there a new reader will have a hard time just jumping in at this point. I wasn't that crazy about this character before, but that could make her more interesting going forward. I do wish there had been some callbacks to things from before.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[47Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though it's a 4-issue volume, it has surprisingly little to say. It feels like the central fight is over-extended and the main character is made to appear weak and uninteresting.

Livewire is public enemy number one. Everything she did that was labelled as terrorist acts was done to protect psiots. The trio that she cares for the most is considering staying on the sidelines. They are Nikki, Avi and Owen. Before she can meet with them to discuss how to move forward, Livewire is captured by bounty hunters.

She makes it out thanks to a vengeful guard she overpowers, but then gets hit by a car, just like an amateur. Worse, her old rival from her training days under Harada, a man named Pan is sent after her. She defeats him, but not before he forces her to relive her recent mistakes.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 2 out of 5]

My comics reading is erratic enough that I'm not normally bothered when I plop down in the middle of a character's story. Here, though, it really felt like I lost a lot by coming in cold. I'd have thought Live Wire used her powers to shut down the entire electrical grid would be mentioned in the first two pages or so, not the second chapter, because that's a big honking deal. I'm also puzzled by this anti-psiot prejudice which I haven't seen in other Valiant books.
I could get past that with a strong story, but about half this issue is her clashing with another psiot and just talking. Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? How do you justify a violent response to oppression? Worthy questions but as handled here they come off like a recycled Magneto/Professor X dialog.

[Nifemi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it was fine, but I this first volume feels like I jumped into the middle of a story and don't have enough background information like I feel like this is volume 3 and I keep asking myself what am I missing and why should I care. It also feels really rushed.

Action scenes and zapy electrical powers looked cool but honestly I don't even have a good Grasp of what our protagonists powers are. Lol. I also don't feel like I know any of the characters who she would kill for or even where the story takes place. Idk 2.5 stars for now and maybe I'll read some earlier books in this universel in the future for some context.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem here is we join our hero right after she has made a terrible decision. The characters are all established and no one bothers to give you the rundown. It’s a bit disconcerting for a graphic novel with “volume 1” in the title. You’re going to need to catch up. Not the smoothest transition.

Hunted by everyone she is going to reach rock bottom before she gets out of this. I love the writing, the concept, everything. I just wish there was a recap. When you pick up a volume 1 you expect to be at the start of the story.

3.5

[PMoslice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Livewire drops you in the middle of a life crisis by the main character, on the run for creating an event seen as a terrorist attack. But the event she created, she states was to protect her people. Because we are dropped in the middle of the story there is a lot of catching up to do, in understanding what is happening. Despite that, the story tracks and the flashbacks fill in some of the blanks. A little confusing but looking forward to the next volume to see if it makes more senses

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oooooh! Ok. I was about halfway through with this graphic before I realized why I had such a strong sense that I had seen all of these characters before. It suddenly dawned on me that this is actually a sequel of sorts to the Secret Weapons series by Eric Heisserer, and also published by Valiant. While it's not absolutely necessary to have read Secret Weapons first, it would definitely help since it provides a huge chunk of back story that you do not get from Livewire on its own.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because of the author, but I forgot how much Valiant titles have irritated me, and that hasn't changed. As hard as they try for diversity of characters, they still miss out on nuance and organic growth, versus the same things being repeated over and over until they aren't.

And not matter how powerful the heroine is, she is sure to be overpowered by men and carried off. Twice.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what came before this book, but you definitely need to find it and read it first. This is all reaction and consequences to something that happens in a totally different book (series?). That means you don't get character development because you're supposed to know who these people are. You get plenty of flashbacks, but it feels disjointed. It felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation starting in the middle rather than taking part in one from the beginning.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fugitive (#1-4). A direct continuation of Secret Weapons and HWII, focused on Livewire? What can go wrong? Unfortunately, the answer is that this first arc can be a dull story of capture, escape, capture, and escape. It can also be spent browbeating Amanda about her attack on the US until she relents and decides to be a hero again, or something. Great art. [2+/5]