Broken Frontier

The Eternal Light Corporation Church has finally pushed Comet to the wall. They may not have wanted a war but that is what they’ve got!

One of the best of the mini-series to come from DC Comics’ Post-Infinite Crisis universe finally comes to an end here. While a few plot points may have gotten lost along the way (such as Lady Styx), the characters and the ending more than make up for it.

The Eternal Light Corporation Church has full command of Hardcore Station and in an effort to force Comet out into the open they have already depressurized one section of the city-station and are threatening to do so to another. Comet has an elaborate plan to win the day and that plan involves a lot of explosions and damage. The one wild card in the deck, however, may prove to be the Weird. Will the misfit hero end up destroying Comet or will he instead help save the day?

The highest praise I can think to offer this series is that, from start to finish, Mystery in Space has read and felt like a sprawling, science fiction action movie of the highest caliber. The always canny Jim Starlin puts as much effort into his characterizations as he does into his plots and the result has been a clever, wild, and unexpected journey. In this issue we see that, although Comet has dropped the "Captain" from his name, in truth he has earned the title because he thinks like a soldier and a commander. Like all good military men he has assessed the threats surrounding him and embarked on a course to end it. Also, like all good leaders, he seeks to find the least destructive path to peace with the least loss of life. If pushed, though, he will do what needs to be done for the greater good – no matter the damage to his own soul or conscience. This is another terrific aspect to the character – Starlin allows readers to see that the choices Comet makes will leave scars on his soul and on his psyche. Nothing here comes without a price.

Comet is not the only star however and much credit must be given to Starlin for The Weird as well. This offbeat hero has become a fascinating mix of innocence, naiveté, and wisdom and he both compliments and contrasts with Comet as the two finally meet face to face this issue.

Pencils this issue are handled by both Ron Lim and Jim Starlin himself. In previous issues Lim handled the main Comet story with Starlin taking on the Weird backup story. Since this issue is one large tale with no backup, Lim pencils most of the issue with Starlin tackling most of the Weird-centric parts of the story. Lim’s work is sharp, hard-edged, and detailed, particularly when dealing with the fantastic cityscapes of Hardcore Station. By contrast, Starlin’s work with the Weird has had a delightful, old-school comic book style with softer, more rounded lines leading to a slightly cartoony style. While this was a positive for the Weird backup stories here it becomes a bit of a negative as, mid-story, the art style changes drastically and Starlin’s take on Comet is very different than Lim’s. Despite this, the issue remains solid and both artistic styles are enjoyable for their own strengths.

Mystery in Space is a reminder of why science fiction epics are cool: Amazing characters, astounding settings, all-out action, and a sense that anything is possible and probable. As the series wraps up, a number of doors are left open and hopefully readers will see a return of any number of the characters who have appeared here.