In the first part, The Authority is once again facing a global threat. The entity has terraformed planet is on the way back to retire there. Unfortunately order happy days, that entity must correct a few small changes in the evolution of the terrestrial environment to start by eliminating the parasites that infest the surface (the human race), and change the nature of the atmosphere to that she can breathe. Jenny Sparks motivates his troops (Hawksmoor, Midnighter, Engineer, Apollo, Doctor and Swift) to find a solution to the height of the problem.
Warren Ellis continues in the logic of the previous volume. The Authority is to preserve humanity from global and global risks. He obviously had fun creating this new threat that has participated in the creation of the earth and the heroes were quick to nickname God, which gives tasty dialogues on the fight that is committed against God. It is equally obvious that The Authority remains a big show entertainment and the personalities of the protagonists has very little significance. Warren Ellis is to create situations that strike the imagination of the reader. It aims to make the most of this specificity comics: the budget for special effects is unlimited. And it really puts the package. Bryan Hictch continues to provide designs that lives up to the ideas of the scenario. His style seems very simple and unambitious; it recalls the style of Alan Davis in less round and more adult. And thanks to this device, it is able to shape all the more incongruous quirks without the reader will find fault. The action scenes are a remarkable fluidity. The bodies of the heroes are quite ordinary, no not muscles or breasts defying gravity. The special effects are very well crafted and enhanced by the color layout Laura Depuy. This man knows all illustrate and inking Paul Neary (just round) gives a soft look that brings just enough cute drawings for they slide alone.
In the second part, The Authority has decided to take a proactive phase. They are just waiting for the sky falls on their heads, they take the world's destiny in hand. They start with a surgical strike in a nation of South Asia where they destituent lossy and smash a bloodthirsty dictator. Then they mediate maximize their intervention to get the message that all leaders do not respect democracy and human rights are in their crosshairs. But soon a slew of human endowed with power appears to destabilize the world order in several capitals. And to make matters worse, The Authority must absolutely protect a newborn with powers of unparalleled power.
With this story, Mark Millar and Frank Quitely settle in command of the series, and by force of circumstances, the tone is thereby changed. To start each hero is seen with a middle impressive mover. Second, violence becomes much more graphic. The outlines are less rounded, more jagged and details of mutilation obvious. Quitely place with these episodes work his first American major, his style is not yet frozen in a variation of Moebius (Jean Giraud), even if one already which will mark his trademark: the wide spaces without decorations and delicate features of the characters. However, his work is remarkable, well above the usual comics, full of personality and perfectly consistent with history.
Side scenario, there is also a thematic shift. Millar abandons the side intervention team against global threats, to advance to the concerns equally global, but more down to earth: The Authority wants to do good on earth and improve the lot of humanity. Its members are thus judges, juries and executioners. Where this story takes a most remarkable dimension is that they attack the war in the world. So first step: to restore peace and justice on earth, or at least reduce conflicts and injustices. On this side, Millar has the good taste not to pull down the series returning to clashes thousand views between good and evil. In addition, it gives a little more thickness to personalities of each hero and he does not fall into the trap of simplistic idealism: his heroes are true warriors who kill efficiently. In addition they show that the first brilliant action (remove a violent despot) has consequences (person to replace the head of state of fear of being assassinated by The Authority discontent of other sovereign nations) as The Authority n ' is not necessarily able to assume.
But on the other hand, Millar has no means of its ambitions. Obviously none of his characters has very meaty political culture, so no constructive proposal to replace what they destroy. And worse, the moral values on which they are based to judge within the Judeo most basic Christian or just too simplistic to cope with the complexity and diversity of the world.
I remain very impressed with Ellis and Hitch feat in the genre assumed epic movie. I am less convinced by the laudable attempt to Millar and political fable quitely a bit skimpy. They continue their ambitious story in The Authority: Earth Inferno and Other Stories.
