Advance Review: `TerrorWar’ #3 Feels Stuck In A Creative Slump

For many comics, a storytelling lag is inevitable. Sometimes it’s deliberate to slow down the story’s pace after a large battle or a complicated plotline. Other times, it happens as one arc is concluding while the next is being set up. But when a transitional issue comes early in a series – say the third issue, as in the case of TerrorWar, it could mean serious trouble.

It’s a shame for a series that started out so promising – as a cross between Blade Runner and Inception. The last two issues, though, have disappointed. That’s because very little happens in this installment. Sure, we get from point A to point B, but it could have been handled in a few pages instead of an entire issue. The story just isn’t that compelling or complicated yet to require this much of a transition.

The details are largely unimportant – and unfortunately the key information in the story is told, not shown. Terror fighter Muhammad Cho is given an offer he can’t refuse to continue his battle against the dream-like creatures terrorizing Blue City. OK, we get it. Let’s move on.

Writer Saladin Ahmed created an interesting, if somewhat cliched, world in which the poor folks on the street level have to eke out a meager existence while those in the sky live in relative luxury. But he only pays lip service to that dichotomy here.

Penciler Dave Acosta and inker Jay Leisten have a little fun with a short battle early on as well as some nice cityscapes toward the end. The middle, though, is a lot of faces and bodies of largely forgettable characters stuck in a police craft.

This fledging series needs to find its creative legs again if it’s going to make many readers’ pull lists.

TerrorWar #3 will be available for purchase on Wednesday.