Does Pride Always Come Before A Fall? ‘Nemesis Forever’ #3 Advance Review

“Great kid. Don’t get cocky.” This may have been a classic line from Star Wars, but it’s also a good lesson on life. One that Nemesis has never taken on board. Although, based on all previous outings, this hasn’t been something he has had to worry about too much. Well, unless you count the conclusion to Big Game (2023). And even then, he wasn’t down for long. The guy always has an angle. Until he doesn’t. And that’s very much the gist of  Nemesis Forever #3 by Mark Millar and Matteo Scalera.

Kitty Teeper — deep undercover CIA operative – has sacrificed a lot to stay on the tail of Nemesis. And now her hard work seems to be paying off. Nemesis, already troubled by nightmares, is now troubled by Teeper’s dedication to the cause. It all leads to the first time in a long time that there is a sense of peril and a belief that Nemesis’ hubris may very well be his downfall. But this is only the third issue, so something tells me he may well live to kill another day. 

Still no closer to having his big plan revealed, this issue ramps up the tension with each turn of the page, with Scalera’s art singing from the page and Giovanna Niro’s colours complementing each scene. Scalera’s depicts Nemesis as a shit-grinning cocky sonuvabitch who you wouldn’t tire of punching in the face. A spot-on depiction of a criminal mastermind who always has a plan for any and all eventualities. An over-confident criminal that part of you is rooting to be taken down. After all, this reiteration of Nemesis seems too big for his own good. Whatever his plan, it’s global. He’s already grown in stature over the past two post-Big Game miniseries, so it’s interesting to see what comes next. Will he fail? Can he fail? It’s certainly a tantalising thought and one that will have you come back for more next issue too. 

With the strong focus on Teeper in each issue so far — developing her as a character and establishing lines she will not cross (for now) I feel Millar is investing in this character. More so than other authoritarian characters we have seen in the past. This, of course, could all be in the service of the story, and we could merely be invited to empathise with Teeper so that her fate is all the more impactful. Or, will she be the one to bring Nemesis down once and for all?

This issue heightens the tension thanks to Nemesis’ cockiness, and it’s all the better for it now we can see he may very well have a chink in his armour. If our heroes must be fallible — to better create the necessary rising tension in your traditional superhero narrative — then so must the bad guys, too. Otherwise, where’s the peril and the drama?

Nemesis Forever #3 is out on Wednesday, 5th November, from Dark Horse Comics.