REVIEW: ‘Heroes Reborn,’ Issue #6

Heroes Reborn #6, published by Marvel Comics, centers on one confrontation while setting up another. In the vein of previous issues, it focuses on the final member of the Squadron Supreme, Zarda—better known as the Power Princess—and consists of two stories. “The Last Utopian Meets The Last Son Of The Gods” is written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Erica D’Urso, and colored by Jason Keith. “Drunk History” is also written by Aaron with pencils by Ed McGuinness, inks by Mark Morales, and colors by Matt Wilson. The entire issue is lettered by VC’s Cory Petit.

“The Last Utopian Meets The Last Son Of The Gods” finds Zarda as the last survivor of the mysterious Utopia Isle. She also thinks she is the last goddess alive as she duels and defeats All-Gog, the Eater of Gods. However, the heavens shake with thunder, which leads her face to face with none other than the Mighty Thor! “Drunk History” follows Thor throughout the ages, as he drowns the sorrows of losing his fellow Asgardians in mead while Zarda battles various threats.

Of all the Squadron’s members, Zarda looks to be the most dangerous. Unlike her DC counterpart Wonder Woman, Zarda thrives on battle and is overcome with bloodlust. Aaron paints her as a rather frightening figure. She makes her residence in the Statue of Liberty and populates it with a garden of stone figures she defeated, including the King in Black, Knull, and the original Wasp, Janet van Dyne. She mentions slaughtering Illyana Rasputin, aka Magik, in combat with a sword forged from the metallic skin of her brother Colossus. And she even hints at sparking a civil war between Hyperion and Nighthawk. Thor, on the other hand, seeks to drown his sorrows in mead and run away from his Asgardian duties, a far cry from the king he is in the current Marvel canon. It’s not surprising that Aaron would pit these two against each other, as they are literally polar opposites.

D’Urso’s art has an anime-influenced sheen to it, which makes for some pretty intense action sequences. This includes the opening sequence, which sees Zarda and All-Gog trading blows. All-Gog knocks Zarda straight through the columns of the Lincoln Memorial, and in return, she disembowels him using her Uru-formed gauntlets. The battle with Thor is fairly intense as well; he not only is able to keep up with Zarda’s blows but his power over the storms gives him an edge over her multiple weapons. Keith brings a pleasant variety of colors to the scene; the night skies of Washington, D.C. are a gorgeous starry blue and the ruins of Asgard have a ghostly blue tint to them. Zarda herself is clad in purple and gold armor that both suits her royalty and her constant search for battle.

“Drunk History” is a fairly entertaining romp, that features Zarda battling multiple enemies including Thor’s nemesis Gorr the God Butcher, with Aaron and McGuinness placing a neat twist on the Thor: God of Thunder storyline “Godbomb.” I do feel that the story would have lived up to its title if it were Thor telling the story to the other Avengers, though he does actually get drunk. I also love that McGuinness has the chance to illustrate Thor in his classic uniform; it makes him look very godly.

Heroes Reborn #6 pits a pair of gods against each other while setting up a confrontation between the Avengers and the Squadron Supreme. With only one issue left in the series, Aaron and company are racing toward the grand finale and only one team will have the right to call themselves “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”

Heroes Reborn #6 is available wherever comics are sold.

Collier "CJ" Jennings

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.