Broken Frontier

Just when readers have found solace and comfort in celebrating the manipulative exploits of Scorpius, writer David Alan Mack shifts directions and takes audiences on an entirely new path with the second major arc in Farscape: Scorpius #4.  This issue clearly demonstrates that Mack knows the fine art of story pacing and development as he presents the up till now unstoppable Scorpius with a challenge worthy of his self-boasting aggrandizement.

In the last issue, Mack introduced fans to the Kkore leader Ddan-Myr, a character who proved to be as cunning and deceptive as Scorpius.  Having subjected Scorpius to the mnemos chair, Ddan-Myr grants Scorpius the command of a Kkore fleet in Farscape: Scorpius #4 with the specific mission of launching an assault on the Scarran homeworld.  Mindful of Scorpius' actions in the assault on Odre'El Prime as well as his lengthy history with the Scarran, the Kkore ruler instructs him that this mission is one of conquest, not absolute destruction.  Most of the action from this assignment out occurs within Scorpius' own mind as he is curious about how quickly the Kkore bestowed him with such power.  His ego, however, will only offer one answer as Scorpius rationalizes that it is a weakness within the Kkore. 

Farscape: Scorpius #4 is a story of Scorpius' ego and the inherent dangers such overt self-confidence possesses for the character.  In part blinded by gratuitous "gifts" or tokens such as the leadership mission and the title of "general," Scorpius is usually the game controller and not merely a piece within a larger maze beyond his control.  Mack does a magnificent job in this issue of illustrating how adept the Kkore are at playing to Scorpius' strengths to secure his loyalty and trust.  In fact, the entire operation against the Scarran is a beautifully-constructed sequence not only to destroy a potential barrier to their own expansion into the region, but also to test and see if Scorpius' own thirst for revenge and lust for Scarran blood can be shelved for the greater good of the mission itself.  While some readers may lament the lengthy inner monologue of Scorpius as he leads the Kkore against the Scarran, Mack has utilized this technique much in the way he did within the first issue to lay the foundation of Scorpius' greatest weapon and thus his greatest weakness, his mind and self-awareness.  Even Scorpius is aware of this as he acknowledges that his investigation of the Kkore and any potential flaws they may have must wait until vengeance is secured against the Scarran.  The ensuing confrontation with Emperor Staleek and forthcoming battle with the Scarran will be Scorpius' ultimate challenge.

This new arc also welcomes artist Gordon Purcell to the series.  Whereas Mike Ruiz was given the task of launching a book based on the television series and thus his imagery of Scorpius was tied directly into the iconic imagery crafted by the show, Purcell's approach is something else.  Although both Ruiz and Purcell's pencils are brought to life by colorist Nolan Woodard, their styles are vividly and visibly distinguishable.  Gone are the glossy lighting effects and textures that evoked an atmosphere of otherworldliness within the first issues; instead, Purcell has opted for softer and more muted tones with Woodard.  In some ways, Purcell's Scorpius is much softer too as the darker, more sinister inks and shadow lines give way to a cleaner portrait.  It is not that Purcell is better or worse (although some audiences will disagree) than Ruiz, but simply different and it takes some getting used to after witnessing Ruiz's creations.