How confident would you feel if the fate of the entire planet and humanity itself rested in the hands of a violent, sexually-abused vigilante? Yeah, me too. That is exactly what makes “The Victories” #15 the exceptional finish to a truly inspired series. How else can celestial deities judge us a species if not through one of our most damaged souls.
WRITTEN BY: Michael Avon Oeming
ART BY: Michael Avon Oeming
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 3 September 2014
Reviewed by Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady
Twitter: @MrBradySteele
From the beginning, this series has done nothing but surprise and surpass each previous issue. The team of champions, The Victories, has battled all forms of evil and corruption to protect the rest of the world. As this saga has gone on, there have been significant moments and casualties for the good guys as well as the population at large. Losses have mounted and worn down our heroes.
No one save Faustus, the last surviving member of the team, is left to oppose the would-be world manipulators. Then people start exploding. Mastermind creator Michael Avon Oeming has completed his opus to superheroes in this final installment with such heft and simplicity at the same time. Can someone who has suffered as Faustus has be the right person to run everything? It’s such a fascinating question to ask at the end of it all that I really don’t know what to think.
What would you be willing to sacrifice to make the world better?
Your humanity? Your freedom? Your own moral code? Your right to choose?
These are just some of the fascinating things to ponder as the big decision comes about and…you should really read it yourself. No amount of adjectives or superlatives can express the sheer originality Oeming has poured into this series. The Victories was raw, fresh, original, and brutally honest about how superheroes would cope with doing what they do. Pick up this series any way you like.
I guarantee you will be hoping for more even at the end.