Morning Glories

• Title: Morning Glories #23
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Nick Spencer
• Artist: Joe Eisma

The sacrifice which has been discussed over the past few issues finally comes to pass as Morning Glories continues the story of Irina and the new group reuniting with Jun (who is really Hisao). Issue #23 also returns the bomb-making Akiko as we see her failed attempt to kill Abraham two years ago and her liberation from the padded room she’s been in ever since she tried to blow up Ms. Daramount a few issues back.

There’s certainly plenty going on here, even if it is a little hard to follow at times (it is a Morning Glories comic after all). With the sacrifice we get what is presumably the end of Hisao (who is really Jun) as well as some infighting between Irina’s group as Jun isn’t willing to let his brother be killed as part of their plan.

The biblical references continue as Akiko tells her liberator that the group should stop trying to target Abraham, but target his son instead. We also get a short scene with Ike and Jade finally making it out of the cave who, as the appearance of the military suggests, apparently have traveled back in time with Casey without realizing it. Confusing? Yeah, but still a good read. Worth a look.

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• Title: Morning Glories #22
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Nick Spencer
• Artist: Joe Eisma

Surprisingly the latest issue of Morning Glories doesn’t jump to the storylines of other characters this month (as has been the series’ formula), instead we pick up from last month’s issue as Hunter, Jun (really Hisao) and the new kids attempt to stop an all important sacrifice. At least I think that’s what they are doing because, not surprising at all, the comic gives us scant information or true motivations on what is really happening.

The comic jumps around a bit from the current situation to flashbacks from the Morning Glories Academy two years ago. In the flashbacks we see another student who has had their “eyes opened” as Jade did a few issues back. The current storyline also reinstates the idea that for students at the academy time and space aren’t really an issue as Hunter and his new friends find themselves using Sumerian ruins to travel through time to save Abraham.

We get a tease that we’ll learn what Hunter is actually good at in this issue, but other than an ability to get shot we don’t really get an idea what his special gift might be. For fans.

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• Title: Morning Glories #21
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Nick Spencer
• Artist: Joe Eisma

Morning Glories #21 picks up the Hunter storyline that ended with the death of Zoe and the arrival of a new group of students in the final issue of the “P.E.” arc. Over the course of the issue we’re introduced to the various members of the group as reunite with Jun (really Hisao) and get ready to stop a dangerous sacrifice involving his brother Hisao (really Jun).

We’re giving quite a bit of information into the new group’s time in Abraham’s school preparing them for their entrance to Morning Glories. We’re also shown the first few days of their leader, Irina, at Morning Glories Academy and see the motivation of dead and tortured parents is a regular technique to motivate the students, although her reaction is anything but typical.

Even with the death of one of the major characters the support cast is growing a bit unwieldy, especially as some of the young female students drawn by Joe Eisma look very similar and given the fact that the structure of the book means leaving subsets of characters for months while dealing with separate story arcs.

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Morning Glories #21Read More »

• Title: Morning Glories #20
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Nick Spencer
• Artist: Joe Eisma

The latest issue of Morning Glories gives us a glimpse into the relationship of Ms. Daramount and Miss Hodge and their past together as children without revealing all that much about the broader themes and specifics writer Nick Spencer continues to keep close to the vest.

Although Joe Eisma’s art is beautiful to look at, and Spencer gives us another unexpected (and bloody) twist, the dialogue between characters, especially between the young Miss Hodge and the time traveling Vanessa feels far too intentionally vague (as if the characters themselves knew you were reading the story and didn’t want to give anything important away).

That said, we do get quite a long look at the sibling rivalry of the two sisters for the affections of their (still yet to be shown) father as well as why Hodge is content with her current role. We also get foreshadowing about which of the students Hodge sees as the most dangerous to her plans. Worth a look.

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