All good things come to an end and Tom King’s magnum opus with the synthetic family dynamic that is Vision comes to a close with issue #12.
Is it good?
Vision #12 (Marvel Comics)
So what’s it about? The Marvel summary reads:
A while ago, a robot created a family. And all was good. For a while. Then came the murders. The lies. The betrayals. The battles fought. The battles lost. The family lost. And now, at the end, Vision stands alone. He must decide how he will go on, if he will go on, if he can go on. And that decision will shape the Marvel Universe for quite a while. The epic, stunning conclusion to the most highly praised series of the year. Simply put, this is the issue everyone will be talking about.
Why does this book matter?
After the events of the last issue, Vision inadvertently helped his wife kill the man that killed her son. This issue deals with the fallout and wraps up the drama of Vision’s experiment of creating his own family.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Not cool lady!
There’s a sadness that flows through this issue as Vision attempts to understand what happened. His wife leads much of the narrative as she admits to what she has done and why. King does a good job revealing details we were unaware of but also capping off this story with a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. Though tragedy has struck the Vision family I think King has reminded us from tragedy we can all find a little solace and love. In a scene between a friend of Vision and Vision’s daughter especially, beautiful sentiments expressed that are deeply meaningful.
To say more is to spoil the story, but let’s just say when given the opportunity to feel and care, King has shown us conflict and pain will surely follow.
The art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta continues to be measured and meaningful. Walta’s style is not splashy like some artists and why should it be considering how much sorrow is in this book; instead it’s meaningful and heartfelt as Walta captures the pain and confusion the characters go through after all that they’ve done. The final page is laid out fantastically in 9 panels that each slowly reveal the final shocking moment. They are paced so very well, but also contain wonderment and some strange weirdness too. Walta captures that and more throughout the issue reminding us though the Visions are without souls, they are rife with character.
It can’t be perfect can it?
I’m still confused how Vision could fight the Avengers and be allowed to walk around in this one. I guess that’s a detail that doesn’t need explanation, but it was a question that lingered in my mind I wish was answered. Chalk it up to superheroes fighting each other all the time and getting over it I guess.
Shouldn’t they be in jail for this?
Is It Good?
Vision #12 deals with very complex emotions in a deft and meaningful way. It leaves you feeling these emotions and reflecting on the human condition. An amazing feat considering it’s about a robot.
If you haven’t read Tom King’s Vision yet, don’t miss out on the most critically celebrated series in years. Pick up the story in collected form, Vision Vol. 1: Little Worse Than A Man and Vision Vol. 2: Little Better Than a Beast from Amazon today.
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