(No Spoilers)

Midnighter drinking tea.  The cover image is brilliant because it conveys the silliness of the idea but reminds us that beneath this cheery image, something sinister lurks.  I love a lot of the more recent media coming from Britain including the long-running Doctor Who series.  I mention that show because this issue of The Authority had that feel to it.  So far in DnA’s run, The Authority has faced monster Incubites, refugees problems, Stormwatch, Eidolon’s Army of the Mad, and a missing Apollo.  This issue allows some of the doom and gloom to be lifted momentarily but as we soon see, this too is short-lived.  The mystery as to “where” Midnighter has been transported to is not completely solved here but Angie offers some theories.  Even as we’re given more information, much like a Doctor Who episode, a lot of it just isn’t going to make sense until the story reaches its climax.  And if there’s any qualm with this issue, it’s that it suffers what a lot of the World’s End titles have in that, to make room for the backup story it feels like we get cut off from the main story too soon.  I do love the backup stories, but man DnA had me going soon intensely and then suddenly, we end on a cliffhanger.  And while it is a great cliffhanger, I still felt like I was forced to stop only because it was time for the backup story.  It’s going to be interesting to see how the World’s End stories read in trade.  I’d be inclined to say they’ll read much better, but we’ll have to wait and see.  This being issue 8, I’m not sure it’ll make the first trade due out in August.  But as for this story, DnA definitely have me cheering for more while at the same time have me cursing them that I’ll have to wait another month to get it.

The Lord Defile backup story did have a more interesting setup here in part 2 than part 1.  We get to meet the Daemonite sorcerer, Rapier, and it’s in a very unique way too.  Rapier also gives us a rare glimpse at Daemonite magic, something we don’t usually see and it was a cool surprise to see what he does to Defile.  Ben Oliver’s art is very intense and something different than the usual comic book norm so it takes me a while to get used to it, but he does a great job of giving us some great stuff to look at.  I’m curious to see how this story will come together and where it fits in the bigger picture.

Synopsis:

http://wildstormresource.wetpaint.com/page/Authority%3A+World%27s+End+%238