It’s been so long since the last issue of this came out, that I’d completely forgotten what it’s about.  And while that’s usually a terrible thing, I think it may work to Ellis’s advantage here.  What I remember of Ellis’s Astonishing run is not liking it very much.  Not that it was terrible, but I didn’t feel Ellis’s story and Bianchi’s art style were a good match in the first arc, and the second arc…I just don’t remember.  But, as it turns out, that’s not important.

This issue reads like Whedon’s Astonishing.  Good bantering, weirdly familiar threat that isn’t eye rollingly familiar, and lots of character moments.  I thought this issue was an absolute blast.  I really enjoyed Lanning’s finishes, in spite of the overblurr on some of the action scenes.  For the most part, Jiminez’s art and Ellis’s story complement each other very well.