The Authority #19

Wow!   On its second issue, Bernardin, Freeman and Barrionuevo's Authority run is shaping up beautifully.   Right from the start the action is frenetic and splintered as the Carrier strikes out from Earth at lightning speed, under no-one's control; it's chaos on board, with floors shaking, civilians panicking and everybody grabbing things and yelling at each other in the best traditions of Star Trek warp malfunctions.   Gradually a few breathing spaces open up, in which the characters regroup and take stock; for my money, these are the highlight of the issue, even more than the tantalising questions posed by a secretive Jack, a mysterious man and boy, and a looming and hostile planet.

For me, the key to any team book is not so much the action but the characters.   If you don't have solid characterisation, it doesn't matter what happens because you won't care; on the other hand, if the characters are written well and fit together in a way that feels warm and realistic, the action is a bonus.   Here, it looks like we're going to have the best of both worlds.   There's no shortage of incident, but what makes the issue special is the way the writers acknowledge, and have fun with, the fact that at this point the Carrier doesn't really have a crew.   The old Authority is gone, with Midnighter and Apollo with the WildCATS on Earth, and Jenny and the Doctor still MIA.   Instead we have Jack and Swift and (probably) Angie of the old team, Christine and Flint of Stormwatch, Roxy and Sarah of Gen-13, Grifter and Deathblow of the WildCATS.   This, as Jack points out, is the new Authority; but they're not a team – not yet.   It's refreshing to see Christine instantly and competently challenge Jack as leader; it's even more refreshing to see the others react to and comment on it.   Grifter's take ("Mommy and Daddy are fighting again") is on-the-nail funny; as is Flint's sympathy for Jack and her dry acceptance of her own apolitical nature ("May I go and hit things now?").   The Jack-Christine struggle pulls in a wider culture clash between two teams that are historically opposed:   the regimented UN-mandated Stormwatch and the free-for-all Authority.   The writers' drive to use all this rather than gloss it over is a strong sign that their run will favour the same character depth and maturity that Abnett and Lanning established for the title.   There are other nice character notes, too:   Jack's abiding concern for the battle on Earth and attempts to turn back and help; Roxy and Sarah's conversation; Swift and Apollo poignantly reaching out to each other from either side of a Carrier window as the ship clears Earth.

Al Barrionuevo's art is excellent, balancing clear and dynamic compositions with a strong, fine style of pencil work that adds painterly depth and texture to the outlines.   The double page of the newly assembled team is especially impressive, as is his varied and lively facial drawing.