Writer: Zeb Wells

Art: Stephen Segovia, David Curiel, VC’s Ariana Maher, Tom Muller, and Rain Beredo

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price:$3.99

Release Date: March 3rd, 2021

After retrieving new armor for Orphan-Maker and destroying Cameron Hodge’s A.I. Robots, our HELLIONS return to find out that Mister Sinister has been kidnapped. So, our team takes off to find their wonderfully dressed leader only to discover that they’ve been under the control of Mastermind the entire time. When did Mastermind take control of the team? And, what’s his game? Well, as the last issue came to a close, we discover that Mastermind isn’t working alone. It looks like the HELLIONS are at the mercy of Arcade and Murderworld. Let’s dive into HELLIONS #10 by Zeb Wells and Stephen Segovia to find out what exactly Arcade wants from Mister Sinister and his team of misfits.

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STORY: CONFIRMED

Hot Take: Zeb Wells is a genius! This version of Arcade is sick, twisted, and more psychotic than I ever imagined. Prior versions of Arcade made him seem silly, contrite, and almost laughable. Yet, Wells almost reinvents his persona making him diabolically deranged and even more powerful than I anticipated. Following on the heels of this upgraded Arcade comes the continued snarky, sharp-witted, snide Mister Sinister. Wells continues to infuse Sinister with so much vigor even while trapped in this Murderworld. And can I say, the back and forth between Arcade and Sinister is what made this issue so amazing.

Now, even though Arcade and Sinister took center stage this issue, Wells manages to drop in some sentiment towards a variety of HELLION team members. He uses this issue as a scope inside each member and showcases the driving emotional force behind the band of misfits. Everyone assumes that many of these HELLIONS were just always $&@$. But in all reality, they had backstories, dreams, and lives before they went down that rabbit hole. So, Wells uses this opportunity to introduce readers to the cast of characters in a more personal way. John Greycrow and Psylocke are specially opened up for readers to take a deeper dive.

ART: CONFIRMED

As much as Wells reinvents Arcade, it’s Stephen Segovia that takes it over the top. Arcade’s smile, the bloodstains, and his crazy eyes are what add that extra layer to this sadistic little psychopath. Furthermore, it’s how Segovia draws all the character’s eyes that will pull you into their torture and torment throughout the issue. The compassion you feel for Greycrow and Psylocke is solely due to the pain you can feel through the expression Segovia portrays throughout the issue. Moreover, very few people can truly draw a defeated Sinister and make it feel legit. Leave it to Segovia to do just that and so much more. Together with Wells, these two have this series locked in.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This issue of HELLIONS is storytelling at its finest. Confirmed. There was very little action. Yet, I couldn’t put the issue down. Wells develops the characters and reinvents Arcade in such a way that I find myself so incredibly excited for the next issue. And again, … Arcade is the villain. Confirmed. What a masterful job Zeb Wells has done since this series launched. There is character growth, sarcastic quips, humor, and a strong plot and premise that genuinely makes sense. If you haven’t been reading HELLIONS, you better start now. Confirmed. That said, this isn’t the issue to dive into. However, if you pick up the prior issue of HELLIONS, you will be right as rain. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!

9.5/10