Irredeemable vol. 6

Speaking of series that are keeping their momentum going, vol. 6 picks up on the capture of the Plutonian by the alien Vespa without missing a beat.  Though the crazed superhero’s forced departure from Earth would seem to spell the end of everyone’s troubles, it soon becomes apparent that the devil they know has been traded for the devil they don’t.  The Survivor apparently wants only the best for those left on the planet, but he’s also keeping his true goals hidden.  Problem is that you can’t keep things like that hidden from a strategist like Qubit for long and the ensuing revelation forces him to team up with the Plutonian’s (sexually disturbed) nemesis, Modeus.

During all this, the Vespa find out that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew with the Plutonian, and they deal with it in a way that most people probably won’t see coming.  It’s a nice twist and it helps to ensure that this plot thread remains interesting while the more compelling stuff happens back on Earth.  Though this “Plutonian in Space” business does have an air of contrivance about it — he needed to be sent off planet in some manner for things to proceed as they are back home — things have been handled so well that I’m interested in seeing how the Plutonian gets out of his current situation.

Of course, getting out of his current situation also means that he’ll be heading back to Earth.  While it’s definitely interesting to watch the various players try to make the best of this new situation, things are all being primed for the fallen hero’s inevitable return.  This is a simple setup in that people will likely be forced into a situation where they have to choose between following the Survivor or the Plutonian but its one rife with dramatic potential.  Hey, writer Mark Waid could even introduce a third option to this presumed dynamic because if he has shown us anything with this series, it’s that he knows how to surprise.