By Mark Rodriguez
The Rippaverse continues to thrive with multiple million dollar campaigns. Their third book AlphaCore ended its campaign at 1.3 million. We first saw them trying to handle Yaira in Isom # 1, and they had a short scene examining those events in Isom # 2. Now that they have their own book, let's see what else we can find out about them.
The issue opens with a masked man holding a woman at gunpoint in front of Texas Trust. He threatens everyone to back off or he'll blow everybody up since he has explosives strapped around himself. The area is surrounded by an armed police force. The one in charge tells the man to drop the gun and that nobody needs to die today. The man says everyone will die today and he's ready to go. Just then he is lifted off the ground, which surprises the female hostage.
Bryan Solari is holding onto the gunman, who open fires on him. The bullets bounce off him, though Bryan complains they still hurt and his cape isn't free. Bryan asks the gunman if he can disarm the explosives. When the gunman says no, Bryan says he isn't needed and lets him drop as he tosses the explosives away. The man's vest explodes harmlessly in the air as the gunman lands in a pool on the roof of a hotel resort.
Bryan grabs the gunman and asks him what type of explosives he armed his vest with. The gunman seems surprised his vest actually exploded. Bryan returns and hands the man over to the officer in charge, named Flynn. Flynn is angry that Bryan 'interfered' despite the fact that the man was not an Except, which are super powered individuals. He says the police had this handled and they didn't need Bryan to jump in and 'save the day'. He reminds him that he's only to be called upon when dealing with Excepts. Bryan has enough of this and flies off as Flynn threatens to write him up.
Elsewhere Lilian sees the news about the events at Texas Trust and asks Michael if he was involved. Michael is convinced the explosion would wipe out all traces of him, until Lilian shows him that a member of AlphaCore ruined his scheme. Lilian asks if he was desperate enough to arrange a bank robbery and Michael explains he didn't want to rob the bank but clean up a minor indiscretion.
Michael explains he had funds in a deposit funds he couldn't justify and the explosive was supposed to go off inside the vault. Lilian says now they have a living accomplice that can be questioned and they can link the funds back to Michael. Michael says he will take care of the money problem as well as the accomplice, but they have a bigger ongoing problem.
Bryan arrives at a floating station of sorts and a military man named Ray says they didn't get an alpha signal with that last call. Bryan and Ray agree he was just winging it. Ray tells Bryan that calling their station 'Airpod One' or 'The Pod' doesn't sound sexy and suggests calling it The Aerie instead. Bryan asks what that means and Ray says it means Eagle's Nest. Bryan says they can call the station that.
As Bryan enters the command area, Valdez is not happy that Bryan is all over the news. Sandy tells him it's problematic. The man on the news argues about the guidelines set when the city decided to employ Excepts. The reporter asks him if it really matters since this led to a happy ending. The man argues about what can keep people safe from Excepts if they can do whatever they want.
Bryan doesn't care about the news but Valdez tells him that if the public opinion turns against them, they could shut down the whole program. Bryan asks about a carwash opening they showed up for and Valdez says it was a favor for a friend. Bryan and Valdez start to argue and the military man tries to break it up. Ray reminds Bryan and Valdez that they're on the same team and sends them off to chill.
Just then there's a call for AlphaCore's assistance from Sgt. Davies Sandy wants them to confirm that there's an Except on the scene or they can't act based on the restrictions of the Fawcett Act. The Sergeant confirms this and a member of AlphaCore is sent on their way. The officers are currently under attack by an inmate that has some sort of electric powers. The officers tell the man that they have a warrant for Gloria Pickens for felony theft and he doesn't need to get involved. The man says Gloria isn't going anymore and starts attacking the officers with his powers. Just then Braxwell arrives.
Braxwell hits the man with a flying kick across the face, knocking him down and making him bite his tongue. Braxwell stomps on a nearby pipe, hard enough to break the handle and make water shoot out. The water shorts the man out, knocking him out. The police arrest Gloria, and she asks if this all this was over shoplifting at the dollar store. Sgt. Davies thanks Braxwell, but this member of AlphaCore is a man of few words and just takes off.
Elsewhere, the police question the gunman from earlier, which we learn is named Cecil, and ask when he learned to make bombs. Cecil says he got the information off the internet but doesn't remember what website. Cecil's lawyer, Ridley Vanessen arrives to take over the case. He's the same person that was bad mouthing Bryan earlier on the news.
At the police department, the police chief reminds Bryan that AlphaCore are not first responders. They are to be the last responders in case of Excepts that the police can't handle. He tells Bryan to 'cool it' for now after the Texas Trust incident made the news. Bryan asks if flying through the city and patrolling for crimes to stop is a bad thing. The chief tells him he's not in the army now, but with the police force, and sometimes being with the police means using diplomacy. They want to avoid the mayor getting involved. With that Bryan takes off.
The lawyer talks to Cecil and confirms that he didn't say anything to the police, except that he was told that the bomb was fake. Ridley has him sign paperwork that will allow him to speak on his behalf. Ridley heads off to see his next client, Galvan, who turned out to be the electric-using Except that Braxwell took down earlier.
Meanwhile, Michael is having dinner with a woman until Lilian arrives to shoo her off. She asks Michael if there isn't something he should be taking care of. He says he never gets his hands dirty and left it up to a third party.
At the prison, Galvan asks an officer for a smoke. The officer figures there's nothing electrical about a cigarette lighter and lights him up. Galvan grabs his arms and pulls him towards his cell. The cop tries to reach for his gun, but Galvan is more concerned about grabbing his taser so he can re-energize himself. Just then another cop shows up and she tases Galvan. Galvan uses the electricity to zap both police officers and makes his escape. He goes to see Cecil and says their lawyer sent him to collect a fee.
Sometime later the police find Cecil burnt to a husk. They wonder why Galvan stopped to kill Cecil since he could have just gotten away after zapping the police unconscious. They figure Galvan might have had beef with Cecil, or it was a contract, but it's hard to tell with a headcase like him. Just then Bryan and Valdez arrive and Bryan shows the list of visitors showing that both Galvan and Cecil were visited by Ridley Vanessen. The police question why AlphaCore is there and Bryan says this is murder by Except and could possibly lead to more Excepts being involved.
Sgt Davies asks Bryan if he wasn't waved off the bank robber case. Bryan says it wasn't made official, and that Ridley is trying to hang him in the media for some reason. Another officer asks what beef Ridley has with him and Bryan isn't sure but it might be political. Valdez says her addition to the team changed things and they haven't made the proper friends in the right places. Another officer named Wilkins arrives with a list of known associates for Galvan.
Davies and his partner will go after Ridley while Bryan goes to take another look at Texas Trust. Valdez will go after Galvan and says she'll have to take a cab. The officers find out that Valdez can't fly, and she's not about to be Bryan's passenger. As the police leave, Wilkins offers Valdez a ride.
Elsewhere, Lilian is furious at Michael, while he's trying to play indoor golf. Lilian says he sent one pawn to take out the other but they're connected by the same lawyer. Michael says he placed a call. It's not someone that Lilian knows but it's someone that will get the job done. Elsewhere we see an old woman wake up a man named Billy Bob, telling him he should have been at the bank earlier. Lilian tells Michael to call it off, and she will handle this herself with more subtlety.
At Texas Trust, a man with a cowboy hat and purple suit shows up asking for deposit box J-4-9. The bank manager tells him that he will need authorization and two forms of ID. The man gives the manager a look and somehow convinces him to go ahead without verification. The manager leads him to the safety deposit box and the man takes what he needs. The man kindly heads off with the items just as Bryan arrives to ask for the bank manager.
Valdez rides with Wilkins and is bored by the drawn out process. Wilkins says since she can't fly, the police force should equip her with some sort of fancy car. Valdez snaps at him telling him that she doesn't have a superhero name and isn't a comic book character. She apologizes and says she's not a freak, and asks to be treated like a police officer. They check the next known associate of Galvan, a man named Samuel Luis Montana. Samuel and Galvan once shared a cell at Stony River.
Valdez and Wilkins knock on the door and say they have a warrant. Wilkins can hear that a TV was on and was shut off. He lights up his finger and deals with the locks. Valdez is surprised to find out that Wilkins is an Except. Once inside, Wilkins gets blasted and is unconscious. Galvan asks Valdez if they came for Montana and says he's currently not home. He attacks Valdez and knocks her to the ground with his electric powers.
Back to Texas Trust, Billy Bob shows up and he turns into a monster engulfed in flames. Bryan tells the bank manager to call the ambulance, police and fire department. He flies towards Billy Bob to stop him.
Valdez gets behind an overturned couch as Galvan attacks her. He says there isn't a place to hide since it's a one room apartment. Valdez says he's the one trapped with her, as she wraps one of her energy ropes around his ankle. She pulls back, making Galvan fall backward and hit his head on the floor and bite his tongue again. Valdez wraps her energy ropes around his neck, but he sends her flying back with a blast of electricity.
At Texas Trust, Billy Bob is breathing fire towards Bryan, who shields himself with a desk. He gets close enough to him to smack him in the face with the desk hard enough to knock him back.
Meanwhile Wilkins opens fire upon Galvan, but he is able to use his powers to stop the bullets. However, this buys Valdez enough time to come in and sock Galvan across the jaw.
Bryan gets closer to Billy Bob, but the villain breathes fire all over him. Bryan withstands the flames the most he can before he finally passes out.
Galvan is sent flying out the window and lands on a dumpster one story down. Valdez thanks Wilkins for the help and tells him to call special services and make sure they bring a rubber bag.
With Bryan defeated, Billy Bob goes for the safe and looks for the safety deposit box. The bank teller rushes in and closes the vault door, locking him inside. Bryan gets up and tells him he's locked with all the money. The bank teller says he's also locked with a limited amount of oxygen. Billy Bob ignites himself but is unable to sustain his flames. He soon loses his breath and passes out.
Valdez apologizes to Wilkins thinking he was treating her like a freak but it turns out he's one too. Wilkins says his power is just a party trick and he's pretty low on the scale. Valdez says he's still an Except and if he works on it, he can get higher on the scale.
Police arrive to douse Billy Bob and make sure he stays out. Bryan and the bank manager rewind the security footage to see what he was after. They see that he was after the security box and check it out. The bank manager says the box is registered to Bravo United, a shell company in Nevada. The only thing inside seems to be an envelope. Bryan says maybe it's an Elvis autograph.
Meanwhile, Ridley is on TV discussing whether or not the hiring of Excepts within law enforcement is escalating crime. After the show, police detectives Briggs and Johnson confront Ridley. They mention that one of his clients killed the other and ask who's paying his fees since he's not a public defender. Ridley excuses himself and goes to the bathroom. There the man in the purple suit confronts him and shows him the contents of the safety deposit box.
Briggs and Johnson are still waiting outside the bathroom as the man in the purple suit leaves. They waited long enough and bust into the bathroom. They see that Ridley was thrown out the window and onto a car on the streets below, now dead.
Back at The Aerie, Bryan shows the team the envelope big enough for someone to kill over. Valdez asks about the shades he's wearing, and it's cover up the fact that Billy Bob singed off his eyebrows.
Briggs and Johnsons check the bank security version and see how the man in the purple suit was just allowed into the safety deposit box without so much as signing in. Nobody at the bank even remembers seeing him there. Johnson asks if Briggs thinks that this man shoved Ripley out the window. Briggs says she thinks that the man talked him into it.
AlphaCore see that the envelope contains a thumb drive, but Sandy is hesitant to see what's in it due to possible malware. Valdez isn't happy to see that Bryan obtained it without the proper paperwork. Just then AlphaCore are being called out for another mission. Briggs and Johnson call for support and tell them to make sure whoever they send is prepared for this particular Except's abilities. Braxwell is on the case.
Elsewhere, Lilian is getting a massage and tells Michael that she cleaned up his mess before he sent Billy Bob to the bank. Michael asks about the money and Lilian says it's payment for her doing clean up. Michael asks what they found in the safety deposit box. Lilian says it will be something to keep the Florespark police ready if they take the bait. She asks if his thugs will keep their mouths shut, since she already took care of Ridley. Michael assures her that he paid Galvan and Billy Bob with a burner phone. She decides to reward him with a massage, as an attractive female masseuse awaits.
Braxwell arrives to help out Briggs and Johnson. They find the man, this time in casual attire, and he tries to convince Braxwell that he's the wrong guy and they never saw him. Braxwell grabs him and covers his mouth, as we see that his helmet is playing loud music to block out the Except's suggestions. Just then some thugs arrive to protect 'Benny'.
Meanwhile Sandy says there's no way to know what horrible things are on the thumb drive and Bryan grabs it, saying there's only one way to find out. Bryan pops the thumb drive in and the computer sparks with electricity hard enough to knock Sandy back. Bryan asks if the system is just rebooting but Valdez says this is what a virus looks like. They've been hijacked. The aircraft suddenly jolts hard and the entire thing is about to crash. Ray tries to stop it but the ship is out of their control. Braxwell is busy trying up the criminals when Briggs notices that the AlphaCore aircraft is in trouble. He flies off to help.
At a party, Lilian excuses herself as she checks on her phone. Michael finds her and asks if she's playing a game on her phone. Lilian says if it were a game, they've already won.
The Aerie is headed towards downtown. Bryan is flying outside of it and telling Ray to stop it. Ray reminds him that the aircraft is out of their control. It's being controlled by whoever set them up with that thumb drive. Valdez determines that they're going to crash into the police station. Lilian is watching through her phone and says that Valdez is right. Bryan gets under the aircraft and tries to stop its momentum.
The aircraft crashes into buildings as it heads towards the police station. Bryan flies out of the way and Braxwell arrives in time to rescue bystanders from the falling debris. Ray warns the police station that they're headed in their direction while Lilian and Michael smile at their dirty work. The police evacuate but Wilkins stays behind. Bryan and Braxwell fly in to get Valdez and the rest out of the aircraft. Ryan says they'll stay as long as there's a chance to stop this. Michael is impressed that Lilian orchestrated a way to take out both AlphaCore and the Florespark police.
Wilkins activates his powers and says he won't let this happen in his town. He overloads his powers and stops The Aerie from crashing as his nose starts to bleed. Bryan notices that The Aerie stopped moving and finds Wilkins lying dead in the area. Valdez says he was an Except but was keeping that hidden. Later on a funeral was being held for Wilkins.
Michael and Lilian prepare to board a plane for a vacation in Cabo. Lilian is angry she lost but Michael says they did set the police back and affected their budget. Lilian wanted the complete destruction of the police force.
Just then AlphaCore arrive and tells them they've found their long list of shell companies and how all them are tied to illegal activity. Micheal and Lilian say they have no proof of such and their lawyers would consider what they're doing as harassment. They tell them to contact their lawyers as they have a plane to catch. Valdez uses her energy whips to slice off one of the plane's wings and says their vacation has been delayed due to engine trouble. As AlphaCore leave, Bryan says Valdez will have to explain herself. Valdez says she'll come up with something and to not ruin the moment.
My Thoughts-
This was a pretty fun read and I liked how the story continued to escalate as Michael and Lilian kept bringing more Excepts into the mix. Even though those two got away for now, this felt like a more self-contained story and it didn't end on some major cliffhanger other than that one loose end. As I thought, Michael and Lilian were the mysterious Excepts seen in Darren's night club in the first issue of Isom. The most we know about their actual powers is that Lilian can emit some sort of energy from her fingers while Michael makes his eyes glow. They both prefer to work behind the scenes and let other more abrasive Excepts do the dirty work.
Valdez can't fly but uses energy whips. She's a bit of a hot head and has a chip on her shoulder on how people see her as an Except. She's a lot more by the book than Bryan, which makes the two of them butt heads.
So far it seems Braxwell can only fly and have possible above-normal strength. He's the stoic silent type, and more down to business. He comes in, takes down the bad guys and flies away. I like the scene where everyone was laughing at Bryan's shades, and Valdez says 'even Braxwell is laughing at him in his own way' and we see him smiling.
There are two other members of AlphaCore that are the regular humans working with the main team on the Aerie. Sandy seems to be the techie of the team. Ray seems to be the overall leader of the organization and keeps everyone in line.
Other than Michael and Lilian we get some Except villains in the form of Galvan, Billy Bob and Benny. Galvan is insane and Billy Bob is a brute, so the most dangerous one is Benny. As we saw with Ridley, Benny can literally convince you into killing yourself with his powers of persuasion. Ridley was a danger in his own right since he was trying to slander AlphaCore to the point of possibly getting the whole program shut down. It's a shame he died since a more political type of enemy would make the story interesting, similar to Spider-Man and J. Johan Jameson. Perhaps someone else can continue the slander, using Ridley's death as a talking point in a future story.
What we learned about AlphaCore is that the program of Excepts working alongside actual law enforcement is relatively new in the gran scheme of things, so there are still trust issues. After all, what would regular humans do if Bryan, Valdez and Braxwell decided to go AWOL. They are under a strict leash however, as they are only allowed to help if the police need help against Excepts. Most of the conflict falls upon Bryan thinking he should be able to help out in any way he can, with or without Except criminals. This coincides with Isom # 1 in which Yaira was causing trouble and she was such a powerful threat that they needed to call in all 3 Except members of AlphaCore.
The story is full of action and super-powered fights and was a lot of fun. From what I heard, Eric July gave the writer Chuck Dixon full reigns with this story, after being given a basic outline of the characters and their personalities. I'm sure somewhere there was a memo for 'make sure Braxwell barely ever talks'.
Overall a fun read and I'm eager for more of AlphaCore and future Rippaverse projects. So far upcoming projects include Yaira # 1, Isom # 3, a new series called The Horseman, Goodyng # 1 and the recently announced Bloodruth # 1. There is also a Rippazine, a magazine with news and updates on upcoming projects as well as a 13-page story with a new character named Salvage P.I. Looks like there will be a lot more books to check out in the months to come.
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