I hope anybody reading this continues to have an amazing holiday and a awesome New Year in just a few days. Before 2015 can officially draw to a close, we have one more issue of the critical darling series The Omega Men. The Omega Men this year is a perfect example of letting a series tells it’s story over time, immersing the reader further in. That’s proven to be a big risk due to flooded comic market and the short attention that some comic readers have when it comes to new series. So let’s take a look at the final issue of The Omega Men!
Since issue one of this series, The Omega Men has a specific tone and it’s been consistent until this issue. This has been a series that calls upon true science fiction and not what super hero comics have morphed sci-fi into. With most of The Omega Men out issue due to the events of the previous issue, the focus is on Kyle and Princess Kalista. Before diving into criticism’s, it’s clear that Tom King had a lot of fun working rout their escape sequence. Kyle and Kalista came off as naturalistic and engaging. Yes it’s nothing new in terms of advancement of their own personal character moments, but instead it’s a bit of a pay off to their relationship that has been established in previous chapters.
In contrast to that I honestly felt that this issue of The Omega Men felt a bit Joss Whedon in overall flow and yes jokes. Perhaps King wanted an issue where the reader can actually breathe and take in the events from the last issue, but the overuse of humor made it feel disjointed when examining it within the larger context of the series. They are well written and placed in perfect spots, but it’s just not consistent with The Omega Men as a whole.
The linchpin of this series continues to be Barnaby Bagenda. From my perspective Bagenda is the best new artists that no one is talking about. Most will focus on the double page spread of Hyn’xx and the detail placed on the market place, which gives the readers a deeper understanding of the world. It’s the sequences with Kyle and Kalista from their love bed to their final escape. The thrill of excitement that spews from Kalista’s face as both her and Kyle continue to overcome obstacle after obstacle, or Kyle’s pure rage upon learning he wasn’t quite free from his current predicament. Each facial expression conveys the character’s emotion even if you strip away the dialog.
So a bit of a weird way for The Omega Men to end 2015 on but while I wasn’t a fan of some storytelling choices one can’t deny the high quality that both King and Bagenda continue to put out. Plus it seems that after several months of cool and interesting setup, 2016 will see the conclusion of this series.
The Omega Men #7 earns a 4/5