ThunderCats #19 // Review
The cats are being attacked by the reptilians. The cats are in a bit of a compromised position. They may have advanced tech that gives them a bit of an advantage, but things are happening a bit too fast and there s the small matter of a danger from within in the form of the mysterious ally who now calls himself Apex. Things are getting a bit beyond the control of the heroes in ThunderCats #19. Writer Declan Shalvey continues to chronicle new developments on Third Earth with the art team of Drew Moss and Joe Mulvey. Color comes to the page courtesy of Arancia Studio.
Apex had once been Lion-O. Something has happened to him and now he’s something else altogether. He’s gained a brutality that could be a real danger to the survival of the ThunerCats. Cheetara is trying her best to keep the team together as its leader, but she’s having some difficulty and she’s going to need to make some very difficult decisions if she’s going to secure the survival of her friends. Apex is going to have to be dealt with in one way or another. But without Lion-O as he once was, survival is far from assured.
Cheetara makes for a pretty logical choice for a leader. Somebody who has some level of precognition would be an asset in the role. Still, Shalvey keeps her on her toes enough to make the central conflict continue with quite a bit of momentum. Overall, action is well-orchestrated on the page. Shalvey it is using a lot of different elements that all seem to be developing in different directions. But they're all building on each other in interesting ways. It's actually a very definitely written ensemble action series in order for it to really thrive, however, the author is really going to need to allow things a bit of a chance to rest at some point in the next couple of issues.
Moss and Mulvey work well with the original production design of the property. There's a sketchiness about it that doesn't quite feel as precise and vital as it could. That being said, the forward momentum of the action is quite definitely there. And some of the layout is quite well-executed. Some of the more dynamic elements of the original cel animated action are given space on the page. The color adds a depth to the world of Third Earth that makes it feel respectably immersive.
There are quite a few elements in the overall plot that feel like they're echoing what's been successful in other series before. Shalvey it is definitely borrowing some energy from aspects and elements of plot that have been circulating around Marvel mutant X-titles for the past few decades. They worked quite well for this particular property. However, it would feel a little bit more interesting if Shalvey and company could find a little bit more inspiration in something that didn't seem to echo so much that's already come before it.
