Higher Earth #3: Crisis of Infinite Assassins

Higher Earth #3
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Francesco Biagini
Cover B: Phil Noto
August 1, 2012
BOOM! Studios

Higher Earth has been an enjoyable, sci-fi action series with an intriguing premise and a lot of potential. In this issue, that potential finally begins to reveal itself as we learn more about Rex, Heidi and Higher Earth itself.

I had certain expectations heading into this issue: I wanted to see more character development and gain a clearer insight into what this story is about. Until this point, Heidi and Rex have largely remained cyphers to the readers and to each other, and there has been little time for the plot to slow down and explain exactly what is going on and why. Though there remain many mysteries to be explored later in this series, I am happy to say that my expectations were not only met, but far exceeded.

Heidi and Rex begin this issue on Minus Three Preak-Kardov Earth, a prehistoric Earth populated only by dinosaurs and a few humans working to extract the planet's resources by a contractor under the employment of Higher Earth. The same mysterious assailant who has been following the pair since Issue One attacks them, seriously wounding Rex. The attacker is revealed to be Kurt, a version of Rex from another Earth, sent to kill Heidi and Rex for Higher Earth.

Heidi manages to kill Kurt (oh does she ever!), and then forces a wounded Rex to tell her the truth about his mission. The issue ends with the reveal that there are in fact dozens of analogues of Rex, all under the command another parallel Rex, First Councillor Sloane, an agent of Higher Earth.

To say this issue was full of great reveals and exciting moments is an understatement. Sam Humpries script has really delivered on this series promise of high-concept science fiction, and is proving to be just as unpredictable and wild as last summer's one-shot of WTF-ness, Our Love is Real.

Francesco Biagini's art has been great since this title began, but this is my favorite issue he's penned so far. The way that Biagini uses the panels to move with the flow of the action is masterful, and is perfectly demonstrated throughout the action scenes in this issue. I loved the reveal of Kurt within the Raptor suit, and the single page devoted to Heidi delivering her killing blow was a breathtaking page that I read through at least three or four times before moving on just because that sequence of images was so good.

I've especially come to appreciate how Heidi is drawn: she is tough and attractive, battle-scarred and not overly sexualized by Biagini. In the panel where she threateningly holds her sword at Rex's throat will staring directly at him, she looks downright bad-ass. Those of you looking for more strong female characters in comics, take note of this series.

Higher Earth #3 is another issue in what has proven to be a consistently exciting and thought-provoking read. I look forward to seeing what versions of Earth Humphries and Biagini will take us to next. Highly recommended.

What We're Reading: August 2012

Reviews of today's comics will be up later on this evening, but in the meantime, here's an update on what we're reading this month:

What We're Reading, August 2012: 

-Animal Man (DC)
-Archer & Armstrong (Valiant)
-Axe Cop: President of the World (Dark Horse)
-Bloodshot (Valiant)
-Black Kiss II (Image)
-Dial H (DC)
-Extermination (Boom!)
-Glory (Image)
-Hell Yeah (Image)
-Higher Earth (Boom!)
-The Hypernaturals (Boom!)
-Harbinger (Valiant)
-Hit-Girl (Icon)
-Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files of Judge Dredd Vols. 1-5 (Rebellion)
-Prophet (Image)
-Revival (Image)
-Saga (Image)
-The Secret Service (Icon)
-Super Crooks (Icon)
-Swamp Thing (DC)
-X-O Manowar (Valiant)

And depending what comes out each week, possibly more!

Coming this Wednesday - 7/25/2012

Coming this Wednesday, our Reviews of:

• National Comics: Eternity #1 (DC)
• Higher Earth #3 (BOOM!)
• Justice League Dark #11 (DC)
• Hit-Girl #2 

And depending on whether or not Canada Post can send us our package in time, our review of Locke & Key Vol.5: Clockworks! 

Extermination #2: "The world hit puberty like a %$@*ing meteor, boy."

Extermination #2
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Jeffrey Edwards
Colours: Blond
Cover A: John Cassaday
July 18, 2012
Boom! Studios

I picked up the first issue of this series on a whim back when Boom! Studios were offering this and Higher Earth #1 for $1/each, and was completely blown away by what I read.

Issue #2 continues this trend, making Extermination one of my new favourite ongoing series, and this is only the second issue!

For those of you who haven't heard of this series before, here's a quick recap: Nox, a highly ethical, and intentionally stereotypical Batman analogue, and his arch-nemesis The Red Reaper, an evil genius who spent most of his career being constantly foiled by Nox, are forced to band together after an alien invasion exterminates nearly all life on Earth. The two travel across the scorched earth, in search of other survivors, battling aliens and trading shots at each other as they attempt to adjust to their new lives after civilization's total collapse.

This issue opens with Nox and the Reaper fighting off an alien horde, and then joining a group of humans whose survival is dependent on their leader, a psychopathic Nazi serial killer and former villain of Nox. Enraged that a group of people would willingly follow such a leader, Nox argues with the Red Reaper, who points out the ludicrous inflexibility of Nox's "ethical straitjacket" given the reality of their situation in this new, post-invasion world.

Issue #1 touched on a similar theme, when Nox restated his refusal to kill, even after most of mankind has been exterminated, but this issue develops this theme even further as Nox and the Red Reaper come to learn exactly how the band of humans have been able to survive. Though I should have seen it coming, I was still shocked by the revelation when a character from the flashback scenes in the first issue makes his gruesome reappearance in the post-invasion world.

I love the interplay between Nox and the Reaper, who has become one of my favourite new characters, and is the real star of the book. The Reaper is a total failure of a villain, the kind of campy evil genius whose plans are always foiled at the last minute by the hero, but now that the end of the world has already happened, he relishes the opportunity it has presented to redefine himself, not necessarily as a hero, but someone capable of surviving at any cost.

Jeffrey Edwards art is quite good, for the most part. He is particularly skilled at drawing action set pieces and scenes of mass destruction. I do have a few criticisms though. The faces of characters minor and major alike often lack definition, and the quality of the figure drawing is inconsistent from panel to panel. 


In some panels, characters look expressive, proportional, and well-detailed, while in other panels they look like an awkward mess. It's distracting when characters lack pupils and other features, or their frames look awkward and sloppy compared to how they were composed just a few panels before. 


These issues aren't a deal breaker, as this is a very attractive book with some excellent colouring from Blond, but the inconsistency of the art reduces the effect of what is otherwise an entertaining and gripping read. 

What really sets Extermination apart is its unique combination of pitch-black humour, camp superheroics, a grim post-apocalyptic scenario, and the intriguing ethical dilemmas its characters must face. The elements that make up Extermination may seem familiar, but I am unable to compare it to anything else.  

I hadn't heard of Simon Spurrier or Jeffrey Edwards before reading Extermination #1, but they've got my attention now.