Review: Hypernaturals #6
Published by Boom! Studios
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Tom Derenick
Coloured by
The Plot
This issue begins with what happened with Clone 21 and her iteration of the Hypernaturals and Chernovski 81 years ago. Some details are explained, which answers the questions from last issue. Back to the present day, Shoal and Thinkwell are trapped below ground from the attack by Sublime and his allies. Shoal is able to utilize strangelets to save Thinkwell who in turn utilizes his own abilities to save the both of them. Above ground Bewilder, Halfshell, and Clone 45 are engaged in a violent struggle against their assailants. They get the upper-hand on the Hypernaturals, but Halfshell utilizes her abilities to an extent that was unknown up to this point to drive them away. Sublime and company make an escape and Thinkwell makes an interesting observation about what just happened. They return to Hypernaturals Central where Thinkwell provides a rebuttal for Clone 21’s assertion about Chernovski. Much to their surprise, they find the real Sublime waiting for them with an interesting proposition.
The Breakdown
I anticipated that this issue would kick ass and I was not disappointed. Seeing Shoal use his abilities in such a unique fashion was very interesting as was Thinkwell being smart enough to tap into them as well. Thinkwell continues to be the coolest character on the team. I also liked how he determined what the problem was on New Faithful as it was a very complex issue. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Shoal and Halfshell got some time to shine and they really did so in this issue. Both characters became more interesting and they both became legitimate threats. The veterans weren’t faring so well during the battle and they stepped up. This issue was full out action and this is one element that I have been waiting for. The abilities from both heroes and villains look so dynamic and there’s a lot of ingenuity in their designs. From the beginning of this series, there has always been an eerie quality about it. There are a lot of unknown mysteries and occurrences, which have been used to set the mood that has really been interwoven into this book. Seeing what happened to Clone 21’s team continued the eerie feeling in this book. I was glad to see a clear explanation of Chernovski and what exactly happened all those years ago. It was clear and easy to understand by not being bogged down in alien terminology and unknown technologies and concepts. I am continuing to really anticipate whatever is coming up next. Abnett and Lanning have done an excellent job of weaving a great story together in a patient and well paced fashion. The art has been consistent, but this issue was quite an improvement over the previous issue. The battle scenes were fast paced and easy to follow. The artwork had an intensity that matched the chaos that was going on in the battle. What a great read this month.
BUT…
I hope that Clone 21 and Chernovski’s plan worked and that they were able to undo the damage that was done. As brief as his appearances have been, I have enjoyed Guesstalt and have been looking forward to seeing him in the future. However, the image on the fifth page has me doubting this. I hope that Clone 21 finds a way back to being like her old self. She was a kickass character before and now she’s just a shell of what she once was.
Buy It, Borrow It, Shelf Read It, or Ignore It?
Buy It. Then recommend a friend to Buy It as well. I love seeing well-known writers being able to work on creator-owned material. They don’t have to abide by any editorial mandates and are able to do whatever they want. They are able to put out some great work as a result. The Hypernaturals is easily on my list of top books this year. I love anticipating an issue a lot and not being disappointed after the fact. This book is a perfect blend of superheroes, science fiction, and the cosmic material that Abnett and Lanning truly excel at.
