Good stuff here. Not quite as much impact as last issue, but honestly, it would be hard to match the battle with the Stranger right off the bat.
Dreams play a heavy role this month, with the issue opening and closing with dream sequences, albeit from different characters. The opening sequence raises some VERY interesting questions: Julie flying free until she's suddenly pursued by fire breathing... demons if you will, culminating in her being swallowed by their darkness. The last three panels of the sequence are quite beautiful on top of it. Nice visual movement, and I loved the way the demons seem to morph into a much more vague, inky blackness as they envelop Julie. It was a nice way to illustrate her being consumed, and also seemed to be a good transition out of the dream state. I also love the fact that the opposing dream sequences are panels on a white back drop while the action happening in reality, in the middle of the book, is all set on a black background.
What do these demons represent? Could this be some sort of corrupting power that underlies the suit? Julie goes so far as to admit later that when she blasted the Stranger, it was not her doing so. We know at this point that Annie seems to be leaking into Julie because of the suit, but this hints at something more than that. The middle portion of the book is pretty standard, though. Some slight plot movement as the pair camp out and Ivy interviews the waitress. Then the book closes with another powerful dream sequence, this time from Pam, who sees a nuclear blast occurring as she and Julie are children, with Julie the only survivor. More foreshadowing? And what is Pam's connection to this - how could she have any intimations of what is going on.
Overall, good setup for questions that look to play pivotal roles in the future. Also, the cover on this one was fantastic in my opinion. If you've been reading, I think you'll be happy. If you haven't picked this up yet, go get the first trade and get up to speed now! This is so well done I can't imagine trade-waiting.
Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 5 - Excellent
