Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Federico Vicentini, Matt Milla, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Matthew Wilson, VC’s Cory Petit, Leinil Francis Yu, and Sunny Gho
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: May 19th, 2021
Chaos magic as a powerful Mach 5? Who could it be if not Speed Racer? Well Blur, the fastest man alive, must race to win through the reality-warping Dread Dimension to save his very essence from the hypersonic hexes of the Speedster Supreme. Let’s race into HEROES REBORN #3 by Jason Aaron to witness this super speed showdown to discover if Blur has what it takes to defeat the Silver Witch!
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THE BLUR
HEROES REBORN #3 introduces readers to the Blur, who is basically a more frantic FLASH mixed with a back story involving the Ancient One and mystical fog. I found the Blur humorous at first, yet as the story progressed, tiresome and annoying. Stanley Stewart (the Blur) was simply too hyper and cocky to be taken seriously. The jokes just didn’t hit the mark and the frenetic nature of the story lent to confusing and jumbled panels that made the narrative more difficult to follow.
Furthermore, Federico Vicentini’s art was also disjointed at times and added to the perplexing, high-speed appearance of the issue. The sharp-edged panels and glowing lines helped to signify the Blurs speed. However, they made multiple panels hard to follow and cluttered to the naked eye. Whether it be a mix between story and art, this reviewer had a difficult time figuring out what actually stopped the Silver Witch. If it was a giant fish, how did the Blur manage to control it and what action took place to thwart her evil plan? I’m still left scratching my head.
THE SILENT INFERNO
The small backup story does shed a bit of light as to the direction of HEROES REBORN by Jason Aaron. Blade has been tasked with getting the band back together. He’s freed CAPTAIN AMERICA from the Arctic ice and convinced him that everything isn’t how the World should be. Now, why he believes a vampire… is beyond me? But, I digress. Well now, Blade and Cap work their way to Ravencroft to snag Maya Lopez (Echo) for assistance. For those just tuning in, that’s the new Phoenix Force Host.
The problem: that’s all we get this issue. Here is where I start to get a bit upset. We are almost halfway through the story with little to no clues as to why the world was changed nor by who. Sure, from covers and previews, we have an idea. However, the actual writing and story have not led fans to any logical conclusion. So far, Aaron has been giving us a tour or a lay of the land. This issue of HEROES REBORN was mainly to introduce Blur to readers. However, couldn’t this have been a tie-in? This issue felt like it shouldn’t be in the main event.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Main Event should tell us something about the overall premise of the narrative. What’s wrong? Why is the world changed? Who changed it? How are the AVENGERS going to fix it? None of these questions were answered. And yes, I was content with the prior two issues. I was actually quite excited. However, now we’ve entered close to the halfway point no further than where we began. Lately, events (from the big two) are having a difficult time gradually divulging information. It’s as if they horde all the details and release them within the last 10 pages of the comic.
Is this done so no one can predict the direction of the series? If so, who cares? Is this done to curtail running theories and hypotheses? If so, no one really cares. Holding back information doesn’t make the writer, company, or story more intelligent. It’s not more shocking. And frankly, it’s bad writing. Now, I’m not saying that Jason Aaron is a bad writer. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I absolutely adore his writing. However, I’m trying to address the same situation that’s plagued comic events for many years now.
WHAT IT SHOULD BE
A true suspenseful mystery needs to gradually take the reader from beginning to end. They need to feel like they’re a part of the story. At first, the prior two issues of HEROES REBORN made the tale seem like Hyperion was the focal point. It turns out, that’s not the case at all. We’re just using the main event book to jump from character to character with a small backup designated to show Blade collecting old AVENGERS for a showdown. Well, if that’s the main series, we can all jump to HEROES RETURNED now. Present and past practice lead me to believe we will get little to no information until then. Prove me wrong.
Next week, HEROES REBORN #4 will introduce Doctor Spectrum while Blade grabs someone else for the fight on the last page. HEROES REBORN #5 will focus on Nighthawk while Blade grabs another compatriot. HEROES REBORN #6 will induct Power Princess into the fold. And then HEROES REBORN #7 will probably first inaugurate the showdown between the SQUADRON SUPREME and the AVENGERS which will end in HEROES RETURNED. Am I wrong? And, each of these issues should have been tie-ins about the characters, not the main titles. Will we find out any information before issue seven? It remains to be seen.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re interested in finding out any specific details of this event, you won’t find them in this week’s installment of HEROES REBORN. However, you will get a rapid-fire, crash course in a superhero named the Blur. If you are interested in speedsters, this issue is for you. Otherwise, you may just want to wait until HEROES REBORN #7 until we hopefully get to the real purpose and meaning of this event. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!