Infinite Universe
This issue has one of the strangest foldout covers of them all. The main cover REALLY doesn't look like a foldout, the cover works amazingly by itself. But the foldout does add an interesting extra appeal. By itself, the foldout cover is amazing. But of course, with the context of the story, it spoils the END of the issue. But honestly, the text on the main cover spoils the foldout. I mean, who else even HAS bottled cities to trap you in? Much less in a sci-fi setting.
As much as the big twist of this issue is spoiled, I have to say that it's a damn brilliant twist. Even when it fails to function as a surprising twist, it's still kind of a surprising direction for the story to take, and it helps create a greater sense of diversity to the series when it was at risk of getting stuck in a rut for a long time while The Hunted plays out. The Hunted is definitely set up from the start to be a big long-term story, but it also has the high risk of repetition syndrome, something that Brainiac's appearance REALLY helps alleviate. Plus, Raney draws an EXCELLENT Brainiac.
Splitting art duties is something that rarely works, and even then only if there's a purpose for it within the story. This series fails to provide in-story justification, and creates an odd, but ALMOST steady pace for the change. Each artist does 20 pages in a row, but that's 10 pages at the end of an issue and then 10 at the start of the next issue. It's consistent transition, but still awkward, especially when the styles clash. At the core, the two art styles have some decent similarities, but Winslade's art is A LOT more stiff and rough than Raney's smooth sci-fi output. Winslade does some of the best work I've seen from him, so it almost works, but overall it's distracting and annoying. I REALLY wish Raney could consistent illustrate the main feature. Scott Kolins on Larfleeze, however, I have no real complaints about. I kind would like to see some art a little less cartoony there, but it works well enough.
Giffen REALLY knows how to keep the comedy and chemestry flowing in the midst of his epic sci-fi adventure with his brilliant characters. Jediah Caul is a little flat, but he serves as a great straight man amidst some of the quirkier characters. Star Hawkins and his 'ex-wife-bot' especially create a perfect comedy duo as a lead-in to the first big move of the series, Caul and K'rot's simultaneous but strangely unrelated attempts to secure Caul's Power Battery from Adonis' clutches. What unfolds is a ridiculous cluster of events, the kind of perfect 'worst scenario' that happens with the best laid plans, and leading the series into a whole new place.
I have nothing new to add about the Larfleeze co-feature. It's absolute comedy platinum. This issue actually does knock up the ridiculousness ANOTHER notch with Larfleeze's vain ignorance hitting hilariously high levels that STILL don't invalidate his character. And then the BRILLIANT twist ending sets some VERY high intrigue for the next issue.
In Conclusion: 4.5/5
Different things are happening in Threshold, and the universe just got a little bit bigger when the city shrank. Kieth Giffen excels at everything this series is, this is basically 30 pages of why I love Kieth Giffen so much as a writer. But this issue is a tad on the slow side, and Phil Winslade's fill-in art is still pretty distracting.
