And Then I Read: JOHN BYRNE'S NEXT MEN 5

Images © John Byrne.

Things are becoming clearer now in this tricky tale of time travel, punishment and madness. The figure in the black armor is revealed as another Bethany from a different time, who blames her former teammates for the terrible ordeal she went through: being buried alive for centuries. She's taking revenge on several of them by putting them in times and places that will make their own lives hellish, and more of that is shown here, with Antonia in the pre-Civil War slaver South and others in equally bad situations, or going from one bad one to another as Bethany switches things up. Meanwhile, more versions of her team arrive, also from the future, intent on stopping this mad plan, but will they succeed?

Byrne's art continues to impress me on this series. I see no signs of the kind of shortcuts he was taking for a while when working for other companies. This is good stuff. Recommended!