Dark Reign: The Cabal #1

It's difficult to write a good villain.

A good villain is one who's interesting, intelligent and driven. You can scarcely take your eye off them, because you can't wait to see what they do next. They can be somewhat sympathetic because of the events that made them into a villain, but you should never actually sympathize with them. But it's ok to understand what makes them the way they are.

So that's what this issue is all about - five interesting, driven villains (though at least two of them should be categorized as "hero / villains") and what makes them tick. And in Dark Reign: The Cabal, you get a look inside the mind of each member of that group.

So we see what dark plans Dr. Doom dreams about. You get a glimpse at the survival instincts of Emma Frost. A dark secret hidden under The Hood. The Sub-Mariner makes a fateful decision. And Loki sits down to a poisonous dinner.

The stories (each by a different writer) are all well-written and the art (each by a different artist) is quite good - dark and moody.

But even though all the pieces are well done, this isn't a comic for everyone. If you haven't been following the Dark Reign storyline, you probably won't care about the machinations of the five members of the Cabal.

However, if you're a fan of that series, then you'll probably want to pick this up for an interesting glimpse between the lines.

Or, as Stan Lee would say: "Bring on the Bad Guys!"

Grade: B-