Electric Warriors round two

I really need to be more on top of these issues reviews as EW#3 is dropping this week. So hopefully most will have read this issue and not be spoiled.




Feet on the Warground is the title of this issue as we start to learn a bit more about the arena and the games.  The issue opens up with the introduction of Earth's Electric Warriors and we find out "Oscar's" powers as War Cry are the ability to absorb, mimic and amply any sound.  We also get to meet our cover character from issue #1, Serene from Khundia and Dominator from Dominion.  So the arenas are a betting area but they are also a place for planetary acquisition as War Cry gets his first battle against Fyurra of Saturn for Earth's Gingold Grain stores.

The Saturnian is an unexpected character but he is also green with a 3rd eye, so he does not confirm to any previous depictions of Saturnians like Jemm or the white or yellow Saturnians.  While War Cry fights Fyurra, Deep Dweller (Kana) has her own battle.  Kana wins her battle in a pretty bloody way.  War Cry is mainly on the defensive again Fyurra.  War Cry figures out how to use his power and deals a devastating blow against Fyurra, but he is ultimately defeated when he is dealt a telepathic attack and then a massive chest wound.

War Cry then meet Inceptor of the Vrang and we how some various battles turn out and we learn more about the battlers.  Inceptor also discovers War Cry's secret.

Fyurra has volcanic powers, but apparently also has telepathy and shape-shifting as natural abilities.
Deep Dweller has darkness manipulation and shape-shifting, but I wonder, since octopuses generate ink if the darkness manipulation is an inherent ability amplified.  She also has an enhanced generation being an octopus.
Inceptor has powers of memory manipulation.  He is noted to be not very successful with his defensive power.
Serene has defensive strength and durability.
Dominator has cellular energy synthesis which seems to have something to do with destructive bio-energy.

I find all these powers interesting as many of them seem very much in the vein of Legionnaire powers. 

We find another brief appearance of Firestorm then Serene and Dominator collect War Cry and Inceptor and bring them Orthus of the New Hive.  This is not a race I am familiar with.  Orthus is a longtime EW and he offers to train Inceptor and War Cry.  It appears there is some type of comradery between the EW.  Orthus shows Kana how to heal with her powers and she heals Ian at the risk of pain to herself.

The issue ends with a big cliffhanger.  The human and animal factions of Earth are now at odds due to losing the Gingold Grain, now Kana and Ian must fight each other.

This issue hits a lot of notes for me as we get some action but a little bit more universe building and flesh out the cast more.  I find myself wondering about the powers.  Are they random? Is there some pre-selection?  It's noted that the Vrang are farmers so by giving their champion defensive powers, was the Vrang set up?  Issue 2 really keeps the pace going.  Things aren't looking too good for the humans.  Kana is much better trained that Ian so we will see what issue 3 will bring.