Zeb Larson reviews C.O.W.L. #9…
Geoffrey Warner and Camden Stone’s false-flag operation continues to escalate with the return of a Chicago Six villain: Skylancer. But who’s under the Skylancer mask will shock even Geoffrey.
Things are starting to fall apart for Geoffrey Warner and C.O.W.L. even as he manages to gain the upper hand against Mayor Daley. His heroes are trying to be heroes when he’s not looking, the kidnapping of the Alderman isn’t going according to plan, and Sarah is starting to ask unwanted questions about John’s death. The real question is whether C.O.W.L. will fracture under the pressure or if it will manage to hold together before something terrible happens to the city of Chicago.
The kidnapping of the Alderman brings Daley back to the table, even when Warner demands additional perks that weren’t part of the original negotiations. Radia refuses to comply with her directive to stay off of Camden Stone, but changes her focus to looking for Doppler. This threatens to wreck Warner’s fragile balancing act for C.OW.L. Warner tries to reach out to John’s widow Sarah and find out what John was investigating, but Sarah quickly figures out that she’s being played. Between her and John’s police contact, they figure out that they need to get to Arclight to get any answers.
This issue of C.O.W.L. is really about women. In one storyline, Radia finally cuts loose and pushes back against all of the restrictions that society has heaped upon her. She wants to be a hero (a relatively straightforward desire), and she doesn’t want people treating her like a weakling in the process. The end panel in particular might make Radia seem hostile or malevolent, except that male characters in comics can usually get away with raging at bystanders or displaying their powers. The other storyline is of course about Sarah, who sees through Geoffrey’s attempt at deception and wants her own answers about John’s death. John was one of the more interesting characters in this book (up until now), but Sarah is quickly set to catch up and possibly overtake him.
The art in this issue is also a treat. I can’t quite figure out what the hell Doppler does, but his powers certainly have cool applications. He literally reaches into a sound bubble and smacks somebody with the letter “D.” That must have been fun to illustrate.
My only real frustration with this issue is the absence of C.O.W.L. files on people, which I’ve come to expect from previous issues. Still, this issue makes for a very good read. The strike and the earlier problems weren’t the real issues facing C.O.W.L. and Chicago. Those fissures are starting to emerge now, which will make for good reading in the coming months.
Zeb Larson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ONsp_bmDYXc&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
Originally published March 18, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
