“Hero” reaches its thrilling endgame in Livewire #12!

With the whole country watching, Livewire is targeted by a trusted confidant, will she remain America’s Most Wanted?

The climactic final chapter building since Secret Weapons and through Harbinger Wars 2 is finally here!

With Livewire #12 Vita Ayala makes the bold decision to have the finale be a much more cerebral affair than your typical run of the mill finales. While there is tension within the comic, it’s not of the physical kind; instead, Ayala weaves a level of intensity through Livewire’s internal narration and the dialogue that borders on thriller level as the machinations of certain characters are teased.

Initially, the ending might seem somewhat underwhelming, and I understand that point of view, but I found it more interesting than reading about Livewire fighting her way through security defenses and the like. The wrapping up of the story in this way is immensely satisfying; there are very few loose ends left after twelve issues, and Livewire is positioned very well for the next person to take on the character.

Although Ayala has scripted an interesting and compelling tale about Livewire, there’s no denying that they were left with an… interesting place to begin after the events of Harbinger Wars II. While Livewire’s actions were extreme in that story, it’s refreshing that they weren’t just swept away as the world moved on (while there may be some who choose to ignore Harbinger Wars II, this series will at the very least serve as the epilogue).

I’ve enjoyed the political spin of this comic. When I say that, I’m not saying that no other comics are political, but rather that I enjoyed the way this comic treats politics, politicians and the process of an election. It’s probably not utterly accurate, but at least from my understanding, it’s pretty close (the huge caveat there is that I am an Englishman living in Canada, so I’m not all that familiar with the way senate elections actually work).

This series has served in many ways to recenter Amanda McKee and deal with how her actions have impacted the general public, as well as the psiot herself. With the political background of the final arc, Ayala’s taken an interesting path to Livewire’s redemption – and it’s well worth reading if you like a little bit of the political process with your comics.

Livewire #12 specifically, though, is a strong book. Both as the finale and as a standalone comic. Ayala comes out of this series on a high note, and I am sure that their star will continue to shine in comics.

Story: Vita Ayala Art: Tana Ford
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Story: 8.6 Art: 7.1 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Amanda McKee—aka “Livewire”—continues the fight to clear her name in Livewire #11.

Teamed up with politician John Wright, Amanda learns there’s more to superhero-ing than just punching bad guys.  When masked men hold a charity rally hostage, Livewire is ready to show the world she can be a hero in the spotlight!

With Vita Ayala placing Livewire in a situation that finds her caught in the middle of a political battle being used as a pawn in an election battle between an incumbent senator and his challenger, we’ve been treated to a unique and interesting story that has a focus away from what we’ve been used to seeing; Livewire’s reputation being repaired through political means.

It’s a fascinating concept, and I’ve really enjoyed how Ayala has allowed this to play out while giving us an at first subtle subplot to the arc, as well.

There’s a touch less subtly this issue as Livewire attends a charity ball/event/whatever-it-is, which (as you may have guessed from the above preview text) leads to her having a very quick and very real impact on the lives of the party goers. Whether this furthers the agenda of the politician looking to make a career based on taking a stand for psiots. That there’s an underlying motive goes without saying, and it’s how both plots weave in and out of focus as the story progresses that has struck me.

Yes, Livewire’s redemption is a secondary concern to the councilman, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t playing the game to the best of his ability (and we still don’t know what his end game is, I’m enjoying the tidbits we’re getting).

Tana Ford‘s art still isn’t my cup of tea, but I still think that I just need time to adjust to the thicker lines and a style that gives me a rough pop art feel. I can understand the appeal, but I’m not there yet (and I say yet, because I wasn’t fond of Raul Allen and Patricia Martin’s style until after I spent a good few issues absorbing it).

Livewire #11 is, on the whole, a really solid comic with an interesting angle on the way politicians and public figures manipulate the general public’s perception and thoughts.

Story: Vita Ayala Art: Tana Ford
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Story: 8.4 Art: 7.1 Overall: 8.2 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review