The Authority: Harsh Realities - Vol 01

I think I bought the first 5 or 6 volumes of "Authority". I enjoyed the stories and characters were interesting. These aren't comics for kids--very adult language, violence. Science Fiction. Futuristic.

The Authority bust up a gambling ring that likes to bet on crazier and crazier things as a prelude, then they go to war against a multi-reality corporation that has an overinflated opinion of itself. A bit of an Aliens parody here, as well. The art is not as good as previous eras, really, and the story perhaps a little rushed. A boy as monster movie finishes it off.

This trade edition contains the first six issues (nos. 0-5) of The Authority vol. 2. This Morrison/Turner run on The Authority tends to get unfairly criticised by fans who compare it to the launch team of Millar/Hitch. Nevertheless, the stories contained in this issue are essential stories in the title's continuity and should be considered a "must have" by any serious fans of the title. Continuity (no spoilers): "Reality Incorporated" nicely dovetails with the story "The Circle" which was featured in "The Authority" vol. 1 and spins off into a classic politically-tinged Authority tale of interstellar exploitation. This run contains some of the cheekiest scenes and lines between Apollo and the (frequently unmasked) Midnighter as well as genuinely charming domestic vignettes. If you're interested specifically in the gay angle, you should know that this book features some of the only panels of Apollo and Midnighter in bed together. Look for some welcome exploration of Engineer's character as well. The Creative Team: Morrison's scripts are just fine. He expands on Millar's character concepts without unduly distorting them. There's nothing here that breaks concept. He introduces and continues to develop Millar's subtext of global political unease with The Authority's methods. The art team of Dwayne Turner and Art Regla lacks the elegant stylishness of Hitch and Neary but they are consistent in capturing attractive likenesses of the characters and creating imaginative and sweeping vistas in the many two-page layouts. My only reservation is that I find Regla's inks a bit heavy and some of the colouring overly saturated, but this is obviously a matter of taste. This TBD also has the advantage of being almost entirely the product of a single creative team, which makes it a clean, consistent reading experience in this single volume format. The only exception is the final, stand-alone story "Behemoth" which is pencilled and inked by Tang Eng Huat. This issue deserves a note of its' own. Huat's art is highly mannered, unusually psychedelic and - for many people accustomed to conventional comic art - highly unpleasant. For all that, it's rather good once you get used to it. I wouldn't want a whole run by Huat, but this one is a valid experiment. The Language: Yes, they say the "f" word and use other blue language. It's an adult comic and clearly marketed and labelled as such. They also kill people and do quite a bit of property damage. If you're a fan of The Authority you already know this. If this sort of thing doesn't suit your taste, stick to Disney comics.