Reviewer: Mathan “Green Lantern” Erhardt
Story Title: Full Spectrum: Part II
Written by: Sara “Samm” Barnes
Penciled by: Travel Foreman
Inked by: John Dell & Drew Geraci
Colored by: Studio F
Lettered by: VC’s Dave Sharpe
Editor: Warren Simons & Nick Lowe
Publisher: Marvel/Dan Buckley
Joe Ledger is a military man. He’s also part of a government experiment that has left him comatose. Y’see he was exposed to an alien gem, which has attached itself to him. Now he’s trapped in his mind while the alien entity judges him. Meanwhile the government is getting antsy about their project.
The issue begins with two men how oversee the project debating what action to take. They need to find out more about the gem, but it’s attached to a guy who is comatose. They consider striking Joe’s life up to “acceptable losses.” But they decide to take some other actions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Norton oversees Joe’s progress. He talks to Joe in an effort to bring him out of the coma.
In Joe’s mind, Joe discovers that the alien consciousness can’t read his inner thoughts. But the consciousness tries to manipulate Joe by forcing him to relive some pretty bad moments of his past. Joe remembers an incident with bullies and a boyfriend of his mothers. In the real world we find that the government has spies on Joe in many levels.
Part of the military’s plan is to use Mark Milton’s brainwaves to stimulate the gem. When his brainwaves begin to transmit, Joe sees various images of Mark. The gem warns Joe that he’s witnessed things he wasn’t meant to see. It also tells Joe that he is merely a vessel for the gem. Joe then returns to his memories and destroys them, rather than have them be used against him again. To be continued.
Barnes has a pretty dense story here. Barnes is the type of writer who doesn’t spell things completely out. The pieces are there, but it’s up to the reader to put them together. The development of the plot on the government side is kind of creepy but it plays right into what people believe about the government. While the gem is kind of malevolent, Joe is scarily resilient. This book is a pleasant surprise.
Foreman, Dell and Geraci make a solid team. The art on this book is a perfect compliment to that on Supreme Power. It’s very detailed and very clear. I dig the ethereal effect of the scenes that take place within Joe’s mind. The book is a visual treat.
