Review: Omega Men- The End is Here

Quick Summary

Pros: The narrative is interesting from the start and stays interesting until the volume ends. The narrative has plenty of great tension and suspense. The characters are all fantastic and their portrayals all feel unique. The book’s messages are thought-provoking and are approached well. The artwork looks gorgeous and makes almost everything about the book even better.

Cons: Nothing significant.

Overall: This is a fantastic book from beginning to end. It takes a number of exciting elements, uses them to create a captivating narrative, and tops the whole thing off with some meaningful messaging. All of this is backed up by artwork that looks good and suits the book’s themes. The end result is a collection that is positive nearly every way you look at it. Everyone should consider picking up and checking this book out.

Story

Some comics out there are so good that, after finishing them, you simply have to take a moment and bask in the glow of what you just read. They entertain you, make you think, and allow you to marvel at the experience once it is finished. Omega Men: The End is Here, by Tom King, is one of these comics.

This is a fantastic comic book that works on a number of separate levels. It has an engaging and interesting story, with twists and turns that make sure the reader is never quite sure what to expect next. It has fight scenes and tense moments that add excitement to the narrative. It has excellent characters that manage to stand on their own and as part of a larger story. And it has themes and messages that are thought-provoking and relevant. In my opinion, this is easily one of the “must-read” comics from this era.

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The End is Here hooks you in from the very first pages and never lets up on that initial level of interest. The opening few pages have a group of “terrorists” kill Kyle Rayner while somewhat explaining what they are doing. However, by the end of this explanation, the reader still has no idea what is going on, who they should be rooting for, or why any of this is happening.

Eventually, as the volume continues, things get more clear. The reader learns about the corruption in the Vega system and the Omega Men’s attempt to stem this corruption. Yet a series of twists, like those surrounding the Omega Men and Kalista’s loyalties, and information reveals, like the one at the book’s conclusion, still ensure that readers never have the full picture of exactly what is happening. This constantly encourages further reading and makes it hard to put this collection down at any point.

The other aspect of the book that raises interest levels is the awesome levels of action and suspense. There are places here where it seems like the heroes are doomed and places where it seems like victory is within reach, both of which demand attention. Meanwhile, a few battles are just genuinely fun to see play out, specifically the one between Kalista and Tigorr.

All of this is then enhanced by the characters themselves. The members of the Omega Men are each unique and have personalities and backstories that sets them apart from one another. Discovering who these characters are and finding out why they came together is part of the mystery of the book. Plus, the way they joke with one another, work with one another, and threaten each other gives some color to their adventures.

However, the strongest element of The End is Here is the book’s messaging. It calls authority figures into question and shows how governments and religious institutions can have their ideals twisted by corruption. It also seems to directly address the problems with modern society’s pursuit of cheap, non-renewable energies and the quagmire of problems this creates. All of this is done with a level of nuance to it, enough to make it obvious but not too obvious. Then, as the volume closes, the final page hammers the message home by telling the reader this comic is not just another story, it is a reflection of very real problems. This ends up being a thought-provoking book with messages that feel relevant.

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Art

The artwork in The End is Here and the way it is presented is a big part of this book’s appeal. Barnaby Bagenda’s designs look incredible and are constantly a joy to see. Bagenda is able to make each character and location look distinct, with personalities that are apparent even before the reader has a chance to learn anything about them. Bagenda’s work also does a terrific job of conveying the action and intensity of the narrative. Plus, a single chapter from Toby Cypress helps provide a nice interlude, with a visual style that signals that the type of story being told has changed for a chapter.

Meanwhile, the colors from Romulo Fajardo contribute just as much to the appeal of these visuals. These colors immediately clue the readers in on the dark themes and subject matter this series will be exploring. They also enhance and embellish aspects of the artwork and just make it look better overall. This becomes clear when Fajardo is replaced by Hi-Fi for a single chapter and this chapter ends up looking far worse than the others.

In addition, it is also worth talking about how wonderfully this book’s structure plays into the execution of various pieces of the narrative. The nine-panel grid approach allows plenty of information to be conveyed in a short number of pages. These structures highlight tense scenes of action, with one in chapter three standing out specifically. And they work into the book’s theme on the final page. I’m glad the book took this approach to visuals and felt like it really made a difference in the type of comic being told here.

Continuity

Omega Men: The End is Here is a limited series with very few connections to other comics. It takes place after and continues Kyle Rayner’s journey from Green Lantern: New Guardians Vol. 6: Storming the Gates (Review) but does not have substantial ties to that series.

The Omega Men series ends with this volume. Kyle Rayner’s story continues in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #9, collected in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2: Bottled Light.

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Kyle Rayner became a White Lantern in Green Lantern: New Guardians #16, collected in Green Lantern: New Guardians Vol. 3: Love & Death (Review).
• Kyle Rayner originally became a Green Lantern in Green Lantern Vol. 3 #48.
• The tragic death of Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend is mentioned at one point. This death was revealed in Green Lantern Vol. 3 #54, collected in Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 1.