Something about this issue is just very indistinct.
It opens with Amara and Davis’s The Nevermen. It’s got some fabulous art—Davis is illustrating all these different pulpy heroes and villains with some sci-fi elements. It fabulous looking. The writing is awful. Amara’s plotting is confusing and his dialogue is wooden. Art’s great though.
Then there’s another Xena story, maybe the silliest license I can think of. Wagner manages a decent job on the script—except for the TV stuff, it feels like Roman history for a bit. Deodato does great—except on the TV characters, who he carefully draws to look like the actors. It’s a pointless story.
Arcudi and Sook’s Ragnok closes the issue. Arcudi’s writing is still confusing. It’s not clear if it’s supposed to be “real world” and just feature weirdos, because the fantastic elements aren’t here this installment. And, unfortunately, Sook’s still aping Mignola.
CREDITS
The Nevermen, Part One, And the Night Sings; story by Philip D. Amara; art by Guy Davis; lettering by Steve Haynie. Xena: Warrior Princess, Ghost; story by John Wagner; art by Mike Deodato; lettering by John Workman; coedited by Dave Land. Ragnok, Part Two; story by John Arcudi; art by Ryan Sook; lettering by Mike Heisler. Edited by Randy Stradley.
Sook gets better, perhaps not here…I think you also (now that you’re getting to the end. Whoopie!) should write a synopsis of what all you’ve covered so far, as I think you’re perhaps the only human being to ever read all the DHP issues, and you’re certainly breaking the bank by writing individually about them. Ripley’s Believe it or not, perhaps?