HIGHLANDER: ARMAGEDDON, VOL. 3 TPB
by Dan Coyle

Highlander Vol. 3: Armageddon TPB
***
Writer: Brandon Jerwa
Artist: Carlos Rafael
Colorist: Carlos Lopez
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover: Michael Avon Oeming
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Format: Trade paperback
Price: $11.99

Plot: March, 2012: Duncan MacLeod is back in New York City, and a chance encounter with his old friend, Methos, leads to an investigation of a strange Immortal “Fight Club” and a cult that has terrible plans for the world. Collecting HIGHLANDER #10-12.

Critique: Has there been any sci-fi concept/franchise as thoroughly maligned or mishandled quite like HIGHLANDER? When Gregory Widen created the concept of the Immortal Game in the early 80s, he was thinking of one film (one man, one mission, only one solution…) but the film’s unexpected success has led to 20 years of books, movies, and TV shows whose creative success has been decidedly… mixed.

Yet, despite the varying quality, the franchise maintains a loyal (if dwindling) hardcore base of fans (myself included) who hopes that someday, somehow, the rich in potential saga of immortal sword wielding warriors who fight for good and evil, fated to duel to the death for eternity, cutting each others’ heads off until the remaining immortal wins some nebulous “prize” no one really knows about will get the treatment it deserves. And yes, I am fully aware of the sheer ludicrousness of that previous sentence.

This hope, however, was severely tested by a little project called HIGHLANDER: THE SOURCE. Oh, we’d like to forget “The Source” ever happened, we surely would, but we’ll remember that “film”. We’ll remember without even being asked.

We’ll remember every time it rains.

“The Source” sets up a status quo and future for the franchise that, well, pretty much breaks it completely, turning it into something unrecognizable. I’m not really sure; the film is written and edited so badly I can’t determine if the makers actually wanted to kill or continue HIGHLANDER or not. What I do know is that if I were the guys at Dynamite Entertainment, I’d want to sue the rights holders for damaging the property, like Acclaim did to Paramount with STAR TREK half a decade ago. How to you polish that turd known as “The Source”? Where would one start?

“Armageddon” was Dynamite’s third HIGHLANDER storyline, and the first to feature Duncan MacLeod in the primary role (Connor does appear, however). I have to say I’ve always found Duncan a more interestingly drawn character than the morose Connor, possibly because Adrian Paul had more range than Christopher Lambert, and also because the writers of the television series, every so often, were willing to let Duncan be a real asshole. Or in another way, he wasn’t as romantic or heroic as Connor; more of a lonely wanderer. In 2012, he finds himself wandering again, looking for a sense of purpose. As is often the case, the action finds him. Duncan finds himself drafted by Methos and his Watcher friend Joe into the aforementioned “Fight Club” which may have a mysterious connection to the Watchers.

It’s hard to write about this book without spoiling too much, since it’s pretty short – only three issues, 66 pages. But Jerwa does a good job telling a tight, tense story in those three issues. He also deals with the death of Connor – he’s used as a voice giving Duncan advice, pressing him to fight on. The irony is, part of Duncan’s despair is his guilt and shame over killing his cousin. It may have been for a greater good, to destroy Jacob Kell. Connor may have wanted to die. But it still eats away at Duncan in subtle ways, and Connor’s voice from beyond the grave is crucial to his survival. It’s a nice juxtaposition.

Jerwa is also able to work in two characters very familiar to fans of the television series. One who is a fan favorite, and another who had only one appearance but it was in one of the more memorable episodes. It’s kind of a surprise that Jerwa doesn’t work in a mention of Richie, since Duncan’s guilt is such a factor in the plot.

The interesting thing about “Armageddon” is that it works as an effective prologue to “The Source” without ever really getting into the nuts and bolts of that film’s plot. The story’s conclusion contains an event that doesn’t tie in directly to the world we see when The Source begins, but it’s hard not to see the dominoes begin to fall after it occurs, to the eventual technocratic wasteland that Duncan finds himself in. This “prologue” isn’t about the WHY so much as the HOW.

Carlos Rafael, currently drawing Dynamite’s BUCK ROGERS series, turns in a generally nice job on the artwork. Rafael has a tendency to draw the same kind of face, and his likenesses are often not that great (with the notable exception of Jim Byrnes); granted that may be an issue with the licensor, but sometimes it gets in the way of the storytelling.

His action sequences, however, are properly tense and exciting, with a particularly beautiful sequence in the final issue. Carlos Lopez’ coloring is properly drab, reflecting Duncan’s overall malaise and the darker tone.

“Armageddon” concluded the HIGHLANDER ongoing and since the recent Kurgan miniseries, there has been nary a peep from Dynamite about future HIGHLANDER comics. It would be a shame if this was it, since the company seems to know how to do right by the character far better than the current rights holders do. The synopsis I read of the proposed “reboot” (Which has Ramirez mysteriously popping up alive at the end, among other stupid things) actually made me physically ill. As I said earlier, however, sometimes you find a story that unlocks the potential of the concept, or at least doesn’t treat the audience like a drooling idiot. “Armageddon” is one of those stories.

Dan Coyle is the News Editor and a regular reviewer for PopImage.


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