Rude Awakenings
by: Scott S. Mercure
Synopsis
When last we left, Lex was about to be smashed by Dracon wielding an iron poker. The deadly weapon is seconds from striking the statue when it begins to move. Dracon notices, and hesitates his swing, giving Lex time to react. In a heartbeat, he leaps from the railing just as the iron poker swings past him. To aid in his escape, Lex pushes another statue over, nearly crushing Dracon. Lex manages to get away unscathed (with the timely appearance of Goliath and Hudson).
We then find that Elisa had been sitting on the stone railing waiting for Goliath to awake. When he did, she told him of the shooting (she's very tired) and about what the witness had said, "Winged Monsters". Elisa also told them that Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway may have witnessed the shooting. But where were they?
Brooklyn had been stored in a warehouse (both he and Broadway were air lifted from the building they had perched on in Issue #2) and had just awakened. He whispers for Broadway but does not locate him. When he moves, a nearby statue falls from the shelf and shatters, alerting a guard. He sees Brooklyn and fires. He ends up crashing through a window and escaping. Eventually he hooks with Goliath, Hudson and Lex.
Broadway had been sent to a private residence. After waking, he tries to get his bearings and also knocks a nearby statue over. An elderly couple appear, and to his amazement, invite him in and make him feel at home. After a brief stay, Goliath and the others find him (with the help of Lex's wrist trackers). Goliath says he needs the bullet Broadway had torn from the wall (Outside the club during the shooting in Issue #2).
As the story begins to close, Dracon (using a similar tracking device that Shades gets for him at an electronic store) traces the gargoyles. When they find them, there's a firefight and brief hand to hand combat. When it's, over the gargoyles are standing, but Dracon and his men aren't. Broadway hands the bullet over to Goliath, who then gives it to Elisa. She turns it into the police station where it will be analyzed.
Several hours later, on a lonely dock, two men are carrying a long box to a nearby speedboat. They place the box into the boat and it speeds off onto the ocean. As the driver heads to his destination, something emerges from the box. He turns around to see a winged creature pounce on him, it's eyes glowing red with a set of deadly fangs. Strong hands wrap around his neck as the creature goes for his throat.
Review
An interesting issue to say the least, an ongoing story that keeps getting better. Amanda Conner's artwork is as good as ever and I especially enjoyed some rather comical scenes (one in particular is when Bronx swipes a stick of gum from Elisa's hand and winds up wearing all over his face.) We don't learn anything about Xanatos and his new experiments, but the ending is all the more spooky as a new, mysterious winged creature is introduced. I liked the issue and highly recommend adding it to the readers collection. And remember, don't miss a single issue as you will wind up puzzled as to what's going on.
Credits
- Writing
- Martin Pasko
- Drawing
- Amanda Conner
- Inking
- Alberto Saichamn
- Lettering
- John Costanza / Jon Babcock
- Coloring
- Greg Wright
- Edited by:
- Hildy Mesnik