The Pride faces the loss of one of their own, and a new addition. As members break down and find each other, the Reverend finally lays his nefarious masterplan bare…and The Pride may be all that stands between him and world domination!

Okay, this is an extremely late review, no excuses, but better late than never, right?

In the previous issue the team faced the supervillain The Basher, and in the aftermath BEAR is dead. This issue is a rather somber one, as it shows the team and their allies dealing with this loss. It opens with a Wake being held in Bear’s honor (which is being picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church). This is especially tough for the team, as they don’t even have Bear’s body, which was taken by The Basher. Bear’s son Jake is wracked with both grief and anger, and Wolf offers him a spot on the team, and to train him, as they vow to avenge his father. Meanwhile we see each of the rest of the team members dealing with Bear’s death in their own way. Frost is putting up a cold exterior, acting as if it’s no big deal, but a heart to heart with Muscle Mary breaks through her shell. Fab Man is taking it the hardest, since he’s the one who formed the team in the first place, he blames himself for Bear’s death, but White Trash helps reassure him that what they’re doing is right. And a budding romance also grows between Twink and Wolf. And I should note that we make a surprising discovery about Angel’s personal life. And in the end, the team prepares to face the mysterious Preacher whom the Basher works for.

Story-wise, writer Joe Glass knocks it out of the ballpark again, with this very heartfelt story, and the characterization of the cast. He definitely gets 5 STARS

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the art. 6 different artists draw this 22 page story. First Kendall Goode, then JD Faith, then Gavin Mitchell, then Jack Davies, then Christian Wildegoose, and then Marc Ellerby. The drastic changes in art-styles every few pages is rather jarring, and disrupts the flow of the story. As such, I can only give this issue 3 STARS for the art.

Still this is a key issue in the series, as the stakes are raised and it shows that there are real consequences at risk to our heroes, giving this title some dramatic tension unlike many mainstream superhero titles. I continue to recommend picking up THE PRIDE.

AVAILABLE ON COMIXOLOGY