REVIEW: ‘Absolute Power: Task Force VIII’ Issue #7

Absolute Power: Task Force VIII #7 is published by DC Comics. Written by Dan Watters, art and colors by Fran Galan and letters by Rob Sharpe. This is the final issue of the Absolute Power tie-in. As Amanda Waller’s war spreads worldwide, a collection of heroes from around the globe try to stop the Amazo that is hunting them.

The story of this issue has the most to do in the series, and struggles to grapple with that. The plot gathers a selection of heroes that many readers won’t be aware of. What puts them in the same boat as the American heroes is that they are being hunted, this time by Global Guardian, an Amazo whose sole mission is to bring them in. There is a ruthless attribute to the fights within this book. They are sprawling and close-up, twinned with the savagery instilled within the Amazos.

The fight against the Amazos is made difficult by the heroes themselves, torn apart by infighting and political issues. Between the brawls against the seemingly unstoppable robot, there is little comfort as the various groups seem to struggle to get on. This provides openings for villains to strike. The final fight is intense, but it happens at a pace that takes a second to realise it’s happening.

Like with the other issue, Absolute Power: Task Force VIII #7 follows the action through the eyes of the Amazo robots. Global Guardian is the final one and is likely one of the quietest. It speaks a few times and is rather polite to the people it is beating the snot out. When the narration kicks in, it is from one of the robot’s creators. It allows those captions to be slightly more poetic and considerate, although it explores Global Guardian’s growing personality. And whilst the other figures have their name, this story actually sees Global Guardian gain its title.

Getting attached to the other characters was difficult. There are two teams: Eurocorps and the Global Guardians. This book has a Marvel UK feel, with the dialogue and gruff characters that inherently didn’t get on. But the heroes included aren’t just British or European; there is a brilliant variety of representation.

Many of the heroes fall quickly, however, due to the ruthlessness of Global Guardian.  Absolute Power: Task Force VIII #7 is not the issue for character development. The characters demonstrate only a flicker of chemistry by the end. This leaves them with skin-deep personalities, which doesn’t help when many readers don’t know who they are.

The art is fascinating. Whilst the characters lack emotional depth, they all look fantastic and intriguing. They leap out of the page with energy. There are acrobats and magicians, secret agents and beasts. There is a brilliant contrast in the locations. The first conflict takes place in Berlin, with immense amounts of detail to the medieval buildings. The Intercorps base is a spaceship above Earth. It is cramped and seeks to pen the heroes in rather than be a display of technology. When a battle erupts in that base, the ship becomes more dangerous for those it was built to protect.

The colors are easily the best part of the comic. The character designs bring some phenomenal shades, brimming with intensity. There are pastel colors everywhere. The background is muted in the first half of the issue, close to being monochromatic. At one point, Global Guardian emerges from the River Spree, with a collection of bright colours crackling from its hands and covering its metallic patterns. Belphegor, one of the most prominent and important characters, has brilliant blue hair.

The colors are even more superb in the final battle. Most of the page on the spaceship suffocates in a thick red atmosphere. But the arrival of Global Guardian throws a vibrant blue into the situation. The rest of the issue is filled with chromatic aberrations, using those same intense colors to create the pattern. The blurring of the colours adds to the confusion of the situation. The lettering is clear and easy to read. Each character is given a caption that quickly describes the character, at least attempting to provide some context.

Absolute Power: Task Force VIII #7 is disappointing as a finale. The final selection of characters is interesting in theory, but there are too many of them to create connections or feel attached. The art is faultless and can’t be criticised, but there are huge parts of the writing that dampen the excitement.

The subplot of Steve Trevor infiltrating Waller’s prison got moved and completed in Wonder Woman, so there’s no satisfying conclusion in that thread. And there was no emotional consequence from the issue. Even though the Amazo robots lack feelings, their actions have generated feelings towards them: fear, anger, and even little flickers of hope. But at its conclusion, this comic left me feeling cold.

Absolute Power: Task Force VIII #7 is available where comics are sold.