Magog #5 - DC

This issue is adorned once again with another awesome Glenn Fabry cover. The one pictured here is actually more of a sketch. The original looks much better. Anyways, Keith Giffen sure has a lot going on here. I wonder where he comes up with all of these ideas? Last issue we see him and Miasma trying to escape from the facility in which they're being contained. It turns out, this DP Macklin, the Warden of Haven . . a maximum security prison, is also using the place as a cover for his own business. He deals in exotic stuff, but . . when it comes down to it, he's an arms dealer. Just not the kind that you would normally think of. Anyways, Magog was trying to break out and Macklin decided that he needed to contain the problem, so he plasma blasted the corridor in which he was in. As that happens, he's transported, as well as Miasma, to Albion. That's where his mother Alba lives. Magog just doesn't know it. It appears that although David has been given the Magog identity, it may not have been Gog's to give. So when he returns to Albion, Alba decides that he's incomplete. He appears to be 'wearing' Magog, like his armor or essence. But he hasn't become integrated into David . . his person and his psyche. So Alba transports him back to the 'real world', and he ends up right back in the middle of the installation where he was before he left. Luckily though, the guards don't seem to want to put up a fight, and the plasma blast that was meant for him has pretty much taken out security. Also Chelsea, Alba's sister, who has been working undercover for Macklin, decides that helping her sister's son is more important than her secret identity. That, or she just doesn't care anymore. Although I don't think David has made the connection between Alba and Chelsea. If he had, he may be a little more reluctant to accept her aid. So . . the issue ends with David and Chelsea coming after Macklin. So he decides to disable the security for the actual prison, Haven, that resides of his other pursuits, Flashpoint, and this alerts the JSA. The problem is . . it comes across to them as a prison break, with Magog being the primary rogue metahuman presence. I don't think this is going to be a friendly family reunion. I have to say, at first I was a bit skeptical about this series. I mean we know what Magog did over in that other universe. I'm not sure why he was brought to this one in the first place. But, this particular story seems to be more about David's character than necessarily that of Magog's. I think David is just trying to use the power that he's been given to try to make a difference in the world. And the reason he doesn't play well with the other heroes? He wasn't brought up to be a hero. He was brought up to be a soldier. And that's a whole different set of rules than the JSA or JLA were ever taught. I'd expect there to be difference and friction between them. However, sooner or later, he's probably going to have to deal with Magog's identity, as well as his power. I just hope that by that time he's learned enough about himself to be able to stand up to him, or to be able to tell the difference between Magog and himself. So far this series has kept me interested. Keith and Howard Porter are doing a pretty good job of keeping things exciting. There's a lot of potential here.