Breaking The Loop With The Terrifics #23
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Bizarro has put time on a controlled loop where he gets to relive his “best day ever,” continually stealing Phantom Zone crystals from Bgztl, beating the Terrifics, and starting the day over again. Boyzarro grows tired of it, but he still wants to please his dad. Meanwhile, the Terrifics are repeatedly waking up as children and being beaten by Bizarro and the Terribles. They forget with each new beginning, but Ms. Terrific may have a way out: she and Mr. Terrific must use their feelings. If they can attach their emotions to memory, they may be able to retain the knowledge of what Bizarro is doing to time.
Terrifics #23 finds the team trapped in the “Cause and Effect” episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation–only Bizarro is the one causing it this time and Data isn’t central to resolving the crisis. Fortunately, this issue doesn’t focus on the loop itself, as that would be far more tiresome in a comic than in that classic TNG episode. Instead, Paula and Michael are immediately aware something is off and go about trying to find a way to break out. We do still get a sense of how much a struggle that is thanks to a particularly clever two-page sequence at the climax of the comic.
It’s still a fairly goofy story by design. We’re watching our great heroes acting in the bodies of children and kept trapped by Bizarro in a Napoleon hat. That said, the bond between Michael and Paula is used as an anchor to keep the story focused and dramatic where needed.
Sergio Davila once again gives the book a fantastic treatment. His detail work, particularly on Bizarro, is immaculate. That climactic two-page sequence I mentioned only works so well because of Davila’s phenomenal visual work. Vicente Cifuentes backs it up with skilled inking and Protobunker brings vibrant colors to the page.
Terrifics #23 is a fairly goofy comic with some decent laughs. However, it also has some engaging moments with Mr. and Ms. Terrific where they find a fairly believable way of getting out of this time loop crisis. It’s a solid read with great visuals and it earns a recommendation. Feel free to pick it up.
Terrifics #23 comes to us from writer Gene Luen Yang, artist Sergio Davila, inker Vicente Cifuentes, colors from Protobunker, letterer Tom Napolitano, cover artist Dan Mora, and variant cover artist Gabriel Hardman with Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Final Score: 7.5/10