I am not certain where the entirety of the book is going - I just know that it's a pace and a set that probably aren't seen in many comics. The inclusion of so much magic and moving back and forth in the Deadside. It certainly is interesting. I don't like the loss of the Zircher art - for a thousand different reasons. He was the best part of the book - and the art isn't bad now, it just isn't the old stuff anymore. I like the change of sides - and Jack as a reluctant hero, too. He is changing - getting ticked off. And Darque is probably coming, too. I liked the Dox perspective - but be careful, Valiant. Don't kill off EVERYONE so soon in these comics.
Gotta give it to the New Universe.
So many annuals were junky, and the MERC one was, too. But this is yet another place when the annual was a significant story - if filled with a lot of flashback - among some bits and pieces of new information. But this one REALLY changed the title. A lot. And that is something to take my hat off. To look at the cover, I'd have suspected that the cover was indicating some force, and the team re-grouped, and re-organized themselves to be the good old team again by the end of the issue.
But it isn't.
To make Michael leave here was a great shock. I never really liked his power - it sort of seemed to repeat some of the stuff again - but this threw me for a loop. I even had to look up the fact that he really was kicked out. Nice work. Excellent.