And I’m not so much on board for the conclusion.

Here’s an action-packed issue. Pugh has his villain revealed, who’s really just an aggrieved party and aggrieved parties make terrible villains to demonize, since their plight makes sense. But worst is how he takes the series away from Hotwire at the end and gives it to her new boss. Her new boss has been in the comic for three issues; she doesn’t need to have the conclusion.

Pugh also avoids a lot, like what’s going on in other places. It’s a third-person narrative, but close to the point of distraction (though it does oscillate between Hotwire and her partner). He never shows what’s going on with the second tier villains, the Homeland Security stand-ins. He kills lots of them, but positions them as space invaders, not human beings.

It’s a good book overall, just a problematic finale.

This issue is Pugh’s version of an all-action issue.

He fails, somewhat, because he’s still got a narrative going. It’s not just one huge action sequence, he takes the time to introduce characters and ideas, not to mention revealing the entire conspiracy (well, most of it) behind the comic book.

It’s a fun issue. Not sure the comic needed to be fun at this point in its run, however. I mean, it’s not entirely fun… quite a few people die and it’s generally unpleasant, but there’s a lot of fun to be found. Hotwire’s got some good lines, lots of good lines, really, as she spouts off on living and not-living alike.

Pugh’s attempts at heartfelt revelations are more problematic than not, but it doesn’t matter since he’s got Hotwire fighting skeletons possessed with evil people.

I’m confused as all hell, but enjoying the comic very, very much.

Ok, some of Pugh’s dialogue panels are a little static here, but otherwise, the art’s excellent.

This issue moves the story… well, not quite along, but it reveals more of it. It certainly does do a good job expanding the supporting cast, which is an interesting move for the second issue of a four issue limited (we’re moving into the second act here and ending halfway through the whole narrative).

It gives Hotwire more people to really interact with, which provides some comic relief, since Pugh’s spending a lot of the time explaining stuff. There’s a lot of future ghost reality to process this issue and Pugh hasn’t even made things simple yet. There isn’t a bad guy yet. There’s bad stuff happening, suggestions of bad intentions, but no real villain.

Instead, it’s all very complicated–these people are bad, but not the bad guys, et cetera–and it works.

A friend of mine recommended Hotwire to me and, while I trust his opinion, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. It’s a very stylized, painted-like (is there a term for it yet, Photoshop-painted maybe) comic and he doesn’t like photoshopping or painted comics. But Hotwire‘s not really that genre at all–if it were black and white, it’d look–as I imagine in an idealized sense–like a Marvel magazine from the 1970s. Pugh’s artwork is this luscious, emotional stuff, not at all static, not at all “painted comic” or “photoshopped comic.”

Besides the art, Pugh’s writing is strong. He sets Hotwire up as Blade Runner with ghosts (down to the Blade Runner font, but I imagine that decision wasn’t his to make) and it really does work. It’s never really “spooky,” but it’s off-putting and not comfy.

I can’t wait for more.