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Excellence #4
Publisher: Image
Writer: Brandon Thomas
Aritst: Khary Randolph
Colors: Emilio Lopez
Letters: Deron Bennett
Cover: Khary Randolph & Emilio Lopez

The latest issue of Excellence delivers one of the most visceral and flat out raw installments of the story so far! As the fight between Spencer and Aaron came to a head we see that just maybe the entire magic system regulated by the Aegis is complete BS. Something that’s been hinted at since the first issue but in this moment it’s clear that Brandon Thomas is going to start tearing the walls down as our two combatants face some hard truths about their own lives. 

The fight between Spencer and Aaron impacts the story on several levels and at this point I feel like Thomas is just showing off a bit. Showcasing so many aspects of these two that it keeps you drawn in while he gives us characters that aren’t just here to “be cool”. Each one is struggling with so much and yes they still do “cool %$#@” but they’re more than that and hopefully will do more once they realize who their real enemy is. The dialogue is smooth and very much on point while moving the story along. Spencer’s talk with his mother as he recounts the events of the fight is one such moment. It’s a sequence filled with Black Mom Excellence that shows off her strength and love and we see that she’s also broken a few rules by wielding magic. Another high point (among many) is the moment Spencer and Aaron actually see their actions and Thomas uses this to ask a very important question.  

If you’ve been reading Excellence then you already know that Randolph and Lopez have been pouring their talent on these pages with some of the best sequential storytelling in the industry. They’re the reason for the rawness of much of the story during the fight between Aaron and Spencer. The seething rage and hate is palpable with each hit of fists and spells casts as these two go at it. While Lopez elevates the action with the perfect choice of colors especially those reds highlighting the most physically violent moments in the fight. Then he hits us with the big colorful magic moments which have just as much impact. Also, peep how they introduce Aaron and Spencer to us in the beginning of the issue and then that last page. Just another moment of solid visual storytelling here.  

Excellence continues to be worth the time and money and needs to be in your read pile every month it drops at your LCS. This creative team is totally in sync and has given us a story with complex characters in a world filled with magic and magical moments. I’d also suggest checking out the conversation in the back of this issue between Brandon and Khary. It’s eye opening and always nice to get a peek inside the minds of the those creatives bringing us these great stories. 

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net