The second part of Wildstorm Comics' series The Programme finishes with a bang, with the Russian super-beings entering the USA and beginning their campaign of destruction. But can Max defeat them? Who is the so-called "Senator Joe" and what does he stand for? And does America have an answer to the renegade Doctor Korovin?
Plot Summary:
With the invasion of Las Vegas by the ex-USSR super-soldiers, the US government puts ever more pressure onto the shoulders of Max to defeat them. Meanwhile, the other American superman, known as Senator Joe, goes in search of his roots, and finds the horrible truth behind his creation.
Meanwhile, Agent Chivers prepares to force Max's original programmer, Mike Hinks, into transforming Max from an average human into the ultimate American fighting machine. Little do they know what the effects of this will be...
Dramatis Personnae:
Max
Mike Hinks
Agent Stella
Agent Chivers
The President
Professor Korovin
Spirit of Lenin
Pradva
Revolution
Stalingrad
Senator Joe
Verdict:
I have to say, I was slightly disappointed with this one. Though there was some excellent fight scenes, and the art in itself was a treat, the introduction of two new subplots (a race war and the subversion of liberty in the US) distracted me somewhat from the action, and as a result this whole thing felt somewhat rushed. However, having said that, I thought the backstory for Senator Joe was very clever, as was his new-found identity as a defender of the Black American community. He went from a right-wing nut I couldn't really emphasise with to a character with as much depth as the protagonist, Max, and I felt that the issue of racism and civil rights was dealt with well, considering the dangerous nature of the subject. The other sub-plot, in my humble opinion, was a lot more rushed, and in some places felt scrappy and almost too blunt. Yes, we get the idea that the US has become more hardline in recent years, but we don't need it rammed down our throats.
Overall, not too bad, but it could really use some tweaking here and there. Oh well, at least it was enjoyable.
Rating: 6.7/10
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