Authority

Authority 13-16

Mark Millar and Frank Quitely take over and create my favorite Authority story.  The team takes on the creations of a thinly-veiled Jack Kirby, as they fight twisted analogues of all the great Marvel teams.  I love the brutality of the fights, Millar’s take on celebrity, the Authority’s new mandate to fight corrupt world powers, and Quitely’s superb art.  

Taking on thousands of refugees.  Pretty cool

Such a great fight scene.

Not sure what to think about this line.

Heh.  You don't often see a baby give a knowing look.

Yes, yes it is.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Authority 17-20

The team battle a former Doctor who’s managed to turn the Earth against humanity, including a giant tsunami that floods New York City.

Haunting cover.

The final confrontation against the Doctor is gloriously written, with some super creative beats by Millar, expertly drawn by Quitely.

So creepy and clever.

Heh.

If Quitely had been able to draw the first two issues (filled in by Chris Weston), this might have received top marks as well.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Authority 21

A backdoor pilot for Monarchy, a title I’d completely forgotten about.  Jackson King acts like a bitter old man and odd things start happening to Christine Trelane.  Eh.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Authority 22-29

A weird turn of IRL events: Frank Quitely quits after issue 22 to move on to other things, right when the team’s just been killed off by a hillbilly cyborg named Seth.  The editorial team scrambles and enlist Tom Peyer and Dustin Nguyen to create a 4-part fill-in arc.  I had absolutely no memory of any of this, and didn’t expect this to be any good.  To my surprise, this story about the replacement Authority team, put in place by the global power-that-be to protect their corporate interests, is actually pretty good.  Certainly having Nguyen to do the art helps.  

When Millar returns to finish off the story from 22, he’s got Arthur Adams as a partner, certainly a fine replacement for Quitely.  But the energy’s just not the same, and even though the Authority’s comeback is satisfying, it’s ultimately not as good as Millar at his peak at the beginning of his run.

Such a random reference, but totally true.  All hail Megatron!

I love the idea of a physical suspension of disbelief.

It has to be noted that Millar’s time on Authority is actually a lot better than Ellis’.  For sure, he’s standing on the shoulders of a giant, but his ideas and execution are both a bit better, and Quitely’s art is superior to Bryan Hitch’s.  Take both teams together and you’ve got one of the classic titles in comic book history.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Authority: Kev

A parody issue where some random guy named Kev takes the piss out of the Authority.  Written by iconoclast Garth Ennis, this is totally not up my alley.  An easy cut, and quickly forgotten.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Stupid (Cut)