THE VISION #11
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letter: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Release Date: 09/21/16
Rating: Rated T+
Price: $3.99
The Vision is an android created by Ultron to destroy the Avengers, but instead joined them. Through the years he has expanded his original programming forming emotional ties. After his emotions caused him to malfunction so he disconnected them. Recently he created a synthezoid family. His wife Virginia was modeled after the brain patterns of his ex-wife Scarlet Witch and their children Viv and Vin were created from a combination of their brain patterns.
After they started their lives in an ideal suburban neighborhood the Grimm Reaper attacked Virginia and the kids leading to Virginia killing him. Deciding not to tell her husband about what she had done, lead to a series of events that lead to the deaths of her neighbors. The Avengers grew suspicious and sent in Vision’s brother the Runaway Victor Mancha to investigate which lead to the death of their son Vin. Now Vision can not reconcile the senseless death of his son, he is out for revenge on his brother.
Plot: The Avengers try to stop Vision from crossing the line and killing his brother, for the death of Vin. Meanwhile Victoria tells Viv the truth about how her friend died. Can she save her husband from crossing the line?
Story: This story has been a surprise for me, because I never thought I would get the deepest most emotional book from Marvel in a Vision book. The story in this issue is so simple, and yet so emotionally complex. Vision is trying to deal with something unnatural even for a synthezoid. A parent should never outlive their child, it isn’t the way it is supposed to be, and that situation can lead to many outcomes.
The Vision is going through the darkest. He is trying to reconcile the injustice of the act with an eye for an eye, because as an Avenger he isn’t supposed to cross that line. But he is more than an Avenger now. He is a father and emotions or not he is reeling. Tom King really makes this a human story and hits you in the heart strings. I feel for Vision, I fear him crossing that line, and at the same time I can see why he would. That moral struggle is subtextually laid out throughout this issue effortlessly by King.
The moral implications and slow mental breakdowns goes beyond Vision here. Virginia hasn’t been right since she killed the Grimm Reaper, and it is building to the endgame here. King makes you think and feel for Virginia without overdoing it. King uses a tick to convey Virginia’s emotional state. Is she repeating words due to her programming malfunction, or is it an emotional break? The beauty in King’s story is that it can be either.
Then he subtly sets up Viv’s story for after this series. I can see why she joins the Champions here, and also wants to fight for others. But the biggest heart ripper (pun intended) is the ending, and in one action I feel so many conflicting emotions for every member of Visions family. King takes us on an emotional journey.
Art: Just as King takes a very simple approach to tell the complexity of this story, Gabriel Hernandez Walta does with the art. The art feels like a throwback to a simpler time. I feel like I am in the 50’s, due to the art which helps the timeless feel of this story.
After I read this book each month I always wonder; how Walta makes me visually feel the emotion that synthezoid androids are feeling? I do not care, but I love it. He delivers such emotional punches in each panel, in addition somehow uses blank eyes that grip the emotional impact of the story.
Verdict: Overall I loved this issue and this series. If you want deep thought-provoking and emotional book that highlights the best this medium has to offer than do yourself a favor and grab this book.