This would have been posted yesterday. However, I hurt my back, so I wasn’t able to do any blogging. So apologies for the day late article on this.

This particular issue doesn’t have any of our normal cadre of heroes. Instead the story is about a backwater planet after it’s been glassed. The issue goes back and forth between what happened in the past and what is going on ‘today’. Below will be a discussion of the issue, so SPOILER ALERT!

The villain in this issue I believe is the same guy in issue #6, Daniel Clayton. Though, he’s not really much of a villain preset, but a sort of informant to the Covenant.

If you’re looking for some Spartan action, this isn’t the issue for you.

However, from the story line, this looks like it will lead to something far more important. If I had to guess, I’d say it will show us how the partnership between Clayton and the Covies came about. What implication does this have for the ongoing story though? Well it may be relevant to Jul ‘Mdama’s Covenant OR it could be the start of a new Insurrection, the latter of which I think is more likely.

As for the art, the cover is pretty cool (well hot I guess since it’s a glassing of a planet…).

The first two page spread is likewise well done (another planet glassing bombardment). The perspective drawing in this issue is decent. One thing that was a mix was again the drawing of humans. At times it was well done, at others, well, not so well done.

For this of you who get this issue, page 13 will have a panel that I think is a direct homage to this meme:

Believe me, you’ll know it when you see it, LOL.

Jackals are the featured movies in this issue. What’s cool is there is a mix of Classic Jackals as well as the Jackals from Halo 4. I do like when the comics put them together as it shows that the Halo universe is connected, not stories told from a different angle with different looks to characters, but rather inclusive of all of the off-shot of the different races.

Of all the issues of Escalation thus far this is my least favorite. However, again, the potential of the continued story that spins for this could make this issue very important in the overall arc.

BTW, Darkhorse is having a 4-year anniversary, so you can pick this issue up for only $2, instead of the normal $4.

As always, I urge you to purchase from your local comic shop to help support your local businesses. Barring that, buy it direct from Darkhorse HERE.

-Sal