Dispatched #3 – The Pain Never Fades

Some have escaped, but now things have gone from chaotic to out of control. In Dispatched #3, we finally get a chance to see the payoff of the cliffhanger from issue 2. With the criminals on their heels, it’s time to dig in and use those skills Morgan procured in another life. Will it be the memories of that life that finally cause them to slip up?

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: B. Clay Moore
Artist: Daniel Gete
Color Artist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Cover Artist: Daniel Gete

Writing

What a beautiful issue from B. Clay Moore. I expected the psychological thriller aspect of this issue, but Moore completely caught me off guard with the heart-wrenching flashback panels in this issue. It takes a lot to catch me off guard, but Moore did so in the best way. Dispatched #3 gives us another chance to learn a little more about Morgan, on top of seeing some of his MacGyver meets Die Hard skillset. Moore really taps into the operator aspect of Morgan in this issue.

Part of tapping into that mindset is the “it’s like riding a bike” feeling that we see from Morgan. His skills are coming back with time because you never truly lose them, but Morgan is fallible, and Moore captures that perfectly. More than just being fallible, Morgan is shown to be incredibly self-aware, realizing that he’s a little rusty and, if not careful, it could catch up to him. Morgan’s relationship with Lori is revealed a little bit more, and you really feel for the guy. Dispatched #3 builds on the success of the last two issues, and Moore gives us what is perhaps the most emotionally stunning issue of the series so far.

Art

Daniel Gete and Lee Loughridge absolutely blow this issue out of the water. Gete’s line work is absolutely stunning. Without spoiling anything, there are some kinda gruesome body horror-esque scenes that Gete manages to capture in chilling detail. I love that Gete manages to perfectly capture the feel of this story. The Sons of Liberty are a little roughly lined and disorganized allowing the art to further reinforce their established character in the narrative.

Lee Loughridge’s colors perfectly capture the darkness and emotional weight of this issue. The flashback scenes are particularly well colored. Loughridge uses the subdued colors in the flashback to not only set the timeline but to capture the despair Morgan feels looking back on his history. The shading and variety on the issues that allow the small details of Gete’s linework to stand out is perfectly done by Loughridge.

Final Thoughts

Dispatched #3 took the stakes from the first two issues and threw an emotional curveball. While the story is magnificent and cohesive, it’s the emotional depth that makes this issue stand out so far. The story so far has felt like a riff on Die Hard in the best way possible, but Moore, Gete, and Loughridge now show us the cost of acquiring that set of skills.

Overall Grade: 10 / 10

What did you think this issue? Let me know in the comments