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Now that introductions are out of the way, The 99 can get down to the nitty-gritty. In previous issues, Dr. Ramzi Razem has assembled a super-powered team consisting of Nawaf al-Bilali, a tower of sheer physical strength; Dana Ibrahim, who can discern the light of a person's spirit; John Wheeler, who can project intense pain; and Catarina Barbossa, a powerhouse fighter. There are other affiliates, such as Mikhal, the resident tech-head, and Blair Davis, who has heightened physical senses. Gathered from all over the world, each team member is known by a codename reflecting their ability in its relation to the 99 attributes of Allah. Each possesses a Noor stone from which that person derives his or her special ability. While the overall concept may seem derivative of the X-Men – especially considering Nicieza's history with Marvel's merry mutants – the comics medium has always featured a number of ideas that have been interpreted multiple ways by different publishers. In The 99, the characters are solid and three-dimensional, without much of the continuity baggage associated with older titles.
In #4, The 99 go up against the forces of Rughal, an ancient seer who hopes to exploit the power of the Noor stones. With the individual wielders of the gems meshing together as a team, Dr. Razem feels the time is right for an exploratory insertion into Nahomtech, a front for Rughal's efforts to accumulate more power. It's the first opportunity we have to see the inaugural members of The 99 combine their abilities into an offensive strike against the forces of evil. Without giving too much away, it's safe to say that things don't go as planned and only up the ante for subsequent chapters, which I am eagerly looking forward to.
The art is solid, and easily comparable to the that of publishers who have been in the comics business for several decades. Thankfully – to me anyway – the coloring makes judicial and practical use of some of the computer effects that enhance the solid rendering abilities of the artists. Like all great artistic supports, it is most effective when it largely goes unnoticed.
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