Dark Horse Comics reviews 7/24/24 – Nemesis Rogues’ Gallery #1
Mark Millar’s Millarworld kicks off its run at Dark Horse with the deadliest, psychotic character in the imprint. Nemesis Rogues’ Gallery #1 finds a badly wounded Matthew Anderson under armed guard in a hospital following the events of Big Game (available now on Amazon).
The issue would be pretty boring if Millar just kept Nemesis on a hospital bed. He’s quickly rescued by remnants of The Fraternity, who take Nemesis on a long road to recovery. There’s a heavy price to pay to get healed, which Millar wisely leaves a mystery…for now.
Millar changes a big aspect of Nemesis’ exploits. This time he casually leaves behind a victim and this one now has motivation and allies to seek payback. This is a significant shift as Millar establishes some protagonists to go after Nemesis.
As always with the title, the main character is the legit ruthless villain so there’s that weird dynamic of rooting (?) for the mass murder to get away. It’s a fine line, but Millar continues to navigate it well.
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Artist Valerio Giangiordano brings an appropriate level of detailed grime to the title. The artwork looks grittier and more realistic, which fits the tone of this darker story. Millar always chooses fantastic artists to collaborate with on the Millarworld titles and Giangiordano keeps that tradition rolling strongly.
Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Clem Robins bring the consistency from previous Millarworld titles. Loughridge’s color choices pop with just the right amount of brighter hues against a darker backdrop. Robins’ use of sound effects is more restrained allowing those moments to have maximum impact.
Nemesis’ path of vengeance kicks off in wild fashion with Nemesis Rogue Gallery #1. The ending has an interesting surprise likely Nemesis’ answer to one of the heroes that did the most damage to him during the Big Game showdown.
It’s been a long wait since Big Game, but Millar is locked in, and this creative team makes a striking impression with this exciting comeback installment.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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