"Voices Shouting Silently" Citizen V and the V-Battalion 1 (June 2001)
"Burning Bridges" Citizen V and the V-Battalion 2 (July 2001)
"From a Whisper to a Scream" Citizen V and the V-Battalion 3 (August 2001)
(2001/06/02)

Reader Rating: Average

Summary: The V-Battalion pursues the mastermind behind a plot to take over the world by dispersing satellites filled with microscopic, mind-controlling nano-probes. While Citizen V pursues the control mechanism on the ground, the Battalion’s strike force -- comprised of Iron Cross, Goldfire, Nuklo, and Topspin -- goes into orbit to stop the satellites.

Panoramic flashbacks snapshot the origin and history of the V-Battalion. Citizen V battles Diamondback, Andrea, Andreas, and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. Sitting on the V-Battalion’s Penance Council: Roger Aubrey (The Destroyer), Elizabeth Barstow, and Fred Davis Jr. Watch for cameos from Namor the Sub-Mariner, Jim Hammond the original Human Torch, Attuma, A.I.M. and MODOK.

Continuity: Andrea reveals that she and Andreas know the story of John Watkins III's coma. It is implied that Andrea was once intimate with JWIII, and one could infer with Zemo as well. Andrea discovers that Citizen V is, at least at some level, Zemo, and Zemo kills her to protect his secret. This is the only time Wolfgang von Strucker is seen with the twins, although dialogue suggests that they have a history together. The Thunderbolts appear in brief flashbacks.

Very soon after this adventure, Andreas recovers his sister's body and has its skin preserved so that he can maintain his mutant powers.

Comments: Author Fabian Nicieza goes for a James Bond-style, international infernal device story and mostly hits the mark. Unfortunately, Michael Ryan’s pencils come up short. While specific panels are very effective, the flow is uneven and the faces of the characters inconsistent. This is especially frustrating in scenes that feature both Aubrey and Davis, white-haired, unmasked and frequently indistinguishable from one-another. Fabian's essay "Taking a Bite of the Golden (Age) Apple," cut for space from issue #3, can be read online here.

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This page was revised on June 31, 2006

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