After last issue’s cliffhanger, the twists and the turns couldn’t possibly get better, right? Well, writer Joshua Williamson proves us wrong. He continues his Energon Universe story in the pages of Duke #3. At the end of the last issue, we saw Conrad “Duke” Hauser and Lance Steinberg locked up in The Pit, with seemingly no escape.
That’s where Baroness comes in. Williamson yet again finds another character fans love to weave into this story, and does it well. She’s secretive and manipulative, and plays both roles well. Duke, on the other hand, is still tortured by the events of Transformers #2, which further drives him to not give up. Duke is too trusting, and that is highlighted again in this issue. Why does he keep these secrets for a country that has betrayed him? I feel like Williamson explores that concept well, having Duke in this prison. It’s explored further through a conversation with Baroness, which takes up a solid chunk of the issue.
Tom Reilly does a wonderful job once again bringing these characters to life, and Jordie Bellaire colors the issue masterfully. The action is incredible to follow throughout, and the coloring shifts when an action scene takes place are really a sight to behold. The art serves the story well, and the coloring works hand in hand with it to embrace that feeling. There’s this fantastic double-page spread with agents coming out of helicopters that really supports the style, but also the general contents of the book as a whole. This works as both an action-packed spectacle as well as something that takes you on this ride where you find yourself invested in this character’s journey.
Not only that, but the lettering by Rus Wooton isn’t anything to look over either. He matches the art wonderfully, and makes his presence known. He’s able to match every page and really adds a sense of urgency to certain scenes. Everything looks wonderful visually in this issue, with each aspect from each creator on board doing its job to keep readers’ eyes glued to the page and on the edge of their seats.
Reilly and Bellaire both masterfully express themselves on the page, with Wooton supporting them incredibly. They tell the story Williamson scripts exceptionally well, and with impressive skill. There’s never a dull moment. Williamson continues to tell this story of this tortured protagonist trying to do better, and he couldn’t have asked for a better team to tell that with. I appreciate how this story weaves itself into the greater Energon Universe, and how someone like Duke is important to that.
There’s definitely a Saturday morning cartoon feel to this, and one that I love. My only complaint is that I wish it were weekly! This action packed comic has me itching for more, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
