The Good
The crazy Armor Hunters event is spilling into the pages of UNITY. While the event's plot does push Eternal Warrior and Ninjak into an action sequence, this issue primarily focuses on what it all means for Livewire and how she's holding up.
In the book's recent story arcs, it feels like Livewire's development has been somewhat pushed aside, so writer Matt Kindt uses this latest issue to kind of rectify that. No major progress is made with the character, but it gives us a proper look inside her head and the scenario is told interestingly. You'll be asking yourself a few questions along the way and it'll all make perfect sense when you're hit with one heck of a panel. Without giving anything away, I will say it's a clever way of including another character while also offering this individual a bit of additional depth.
The action scene with Ninjak and Eternal Warrior is a good time. Watching Ninjak in motion is always a joy and it's creatively presented. While Ninjak's highlight is graceful and oddly soothing (a nice contrast to his personality), Eternal Warrior's is blunt, effective, and downright badass. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say it's pretty cool and definitely a memorable bit. Plus, I can't help but love the dynamic between these two. Ninjak continues to be arrogant and abrasive while Eternal Warrior's focused and logical. It gives Kindt the chance to include some amusing banter in otherwise serious story.
Artist Stephen Segovia and colorist Brian Reber's pages pull us into these scenes quite well. Whether Kindt is filling a scene with a dark tone and a sense of mystery or if he's trying to wow us with a exciting action scene, Segovia and Reber present the moment in a completely appropriate and engrossing way. As stated above, the action scene's a total blast to witness and the segments revolving around Liveware do a great job setting the stage and keep us guessing until we're hit with the well-crafted reveal. All in all, it's a solid visual ride.
The Bad
I'm all for giving Livewire more focus, but so much of her time is spent on exposition. There's already a detailed intro page, so to have her go on and on about events that loyal readers already know definitely takes a toll on the pacing. I understand the elaboration is there for new readers, but it slows things down for the pre-existing fans. it would have been great to have details about her past events included in the intro page so we can then see more of how she feels instead of spending time explaining what happened.
Eternal Warrior once again feels like he's there just to reflect on the past and apply it to the present. This approach has potential but it feels overused at this point. I feel like it would have been more effective to have him just state the plan and then this would have created extra room for more interesting material. But hey, at least what followed was quite cool.
The Verdict
UNITY #9 is an entertaining issue and attempts to offer a little more insight into a couple of characters. The pacing takes a bit of a hit as it tries to play catch-up with new readers, but if you've been following along, it'll still wind up being a satisfying experience and the ending will have you stoked for the next chapter. However, you likely won't be able to shake the feeling that nothing significant happened and technically this could be considered filler. Still, the action scene is uniquely executed and, even though the exposition begins to add up, it's still a fun ride.
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