All families have arguments. And at times that can lead to taking sides. But what happens when the second most powerful psiot in the Valiant universe chooses which family to protect? Amanda McKee (Livewire) in ‘Harbinger Wars II: Aftermath’ made some decisions that she’s not going to be able to come back from. You get the sense that she’s going to be able to live with that. After all government agencies were conspiring to eliminate her fellow psiots. That’s what it came down to, protecting young people and children from those who wanted to imprison, use, or destroy them. Livewire went against former teammates, plunged her country in darkness and took control over Bloodshot. So what happens now?
For Aric of Dacia (X-O Manowar) as he and Amanda repair the power grid he helps her understand that the problems they just faced are the same as other worlds. Aric has been fighting since he was kidnapped and enslaved by the alien race known as the Vine. Being on other worlds and experiencing the plight of others has given him perspective. He’s the last person who’s going to judge her. What’s more their conversation taking place in space makes the artwork shine. Livewire’s hair is billowing as both heroes are over the earth and ironically it grounds their relationship. No matter if it’s out of this world or fighting zombies in New Jersey this comic-book’s best asset is how the characters relate to each other. Meanwhile Peter, whose psiot ability is to activate the latent abilities of his brethren is chilling in India and getting revenge for the government attempting to use him as a weapon. These panels convey more than just words alone and it makes for much needed levity.
Still, Amanda continues to figure out where she fits into this new landscape that’s partly her creation. In a sense it means ending her relationship with Colin (Ninja-K) before it got a chance to get anywhere. She’s on the run and he can’t help her the way he wants, but he won’t betray her either. Then there’s her Secret Weapons team, a group of young people her former mentor Harada (arguably the most powerful psiot in the world) abandoned because their powers weren’t sexy enough for him. What happens to them now that Amanda’s running from these super-powered organizations?
Overall for someone who is capable of controlling any and every type of technology just from using her mind, Livewire can never be counted out. There’s a saying in the film ‘Dune,’ “He who controls the spice controls the universe.’ That says everything for a black woman living in an age where technology runs the lives of everyone on the planet. Livewire is going to get her own series starting in December. After seeing whatever it takes for her to survive during the second Harbinger Wars, there’s no ceiling for future storylines. In the end Livewire is going to live up to her codename.
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