Joshua Dysart has these characters down. I love it. In this issue the Renegades meet the escaped PRS psiots for the first time and we are treated to some great emotionaly stirring and funny moments. It’s crazy to think about these characters as “kids,” but Dysart never let’s us forget, and it makes the story that much more powerful. The interactions between the two groups is handled well, and gives us further insight into all the characters, new and old, without being overwhelming.

This issue doesn’t try too hard, and in turn it pays out like a Las Vegas slot machine. I left this issue finally caring about these new psiots. In particular, Faith’s interactions stood out, and brought out these new kids’ character. She is such a warm-hearted character, and the younger PRS children gravitate toward her. She is becoming the loving grandmother of the group. Sting has a heart-wrenching moment with Cronos, the PRS groups “leader”, that puts the entire situation in perspective and leaves Peter looking like an unappreciative child by comparison (if you ever thought that possible). I’m very interested to see how these two groups’ distinctions are brought out, and how this interaction is going to play out. Friends or foes, or something in between? There are plenty of fun moments throughout this issue, but Dysart keeps the suffering and vulnerable nature of these characters carefully woven throughout. Sprinkled throughout this issue are flashbacks to 1969, and the early days of the Harbinger/ PRS relationship. Harada is handled superbly, and he is one of my favorite characters in comics today. He is cold and calculating, and brash. He knows his power and isn’t scared of anything. He is an awesome character. I especially like the “telepath protection helmets” that PRS wears. These moments successfuly remind us of the big picture that is happening outside of the casino.It’s a very well-done issue. My only criticism is the lack of plot momentum. This thoroughly felt like a meet and greet issue. HIGHLY entertaining, but mostly stage-setting. Lucky for me this is why I read Harbinger, and taken in its context of a fast-paced crossover, it works great.

Khari Evans has stepped up his game for this issue. This is probably the best yet. My only gripe with his work before was the way he drew the characters noses. It sounds funny, but THE NOSES LOOK GREAT! The expressions are right on, the characters are easily distinguished, and the action is done well. There is also a psiot flashback handled by Trevor Hairsine (I think) that was done in the same fashion as the flashback in Harbinger Wars #1. It looked great and added a nice touch of continuity with the crossover.

I was disappointed in Harbinger Wars #2 for a number of reasons (you can read my review), but fortunately, this comic suffered from none of it. The “new” characters were incorporated smoothly and in a way that made me care about them and nothing felt rushed. It’s a relief to know that the crossover hasn’t changed Dysart’s superb writing on this title. It continues to be one of the best out there.