Protectors, Inc. #6

Released by: Image Comics
Released on: Apr. 23, 2014

Det. John Riley is heading back to the coroner's office for an update after his unsuccessful meeting with the majority of the Protectors. On the way, he's passed by speeding police cars and thinks he sees someone he shouldn't recognize. But soon he finds the coroner's office ablaze. Meanwhile, Det. Tomas is just getting the coroner's final voice message when himself is “interrupted”...

Now that the Huntsman's death is public news Riley's getting hounded from all sides for answers. The captain doesn't care about his theories around the coroner's death being very timely, that all their evidence is now literally up in smoke. He still wants Riley to solve the case but hope seems lost - that is, until Riley gets a note from Angel to meet him at the pier.

Riley is frustrated and Angel is by far the lone sympathetic super-powered person and they come together when Riley states all he wants is someone to be truthful for 5 minutes. She then picks him up and transports them to the Huntsman's apartment in the sky, a zeppelin similar to what they all have to keep up their appearances as “gods.”

The pieces move around a bit here in this issue but not by very much. Still, the direction the story is going is promising and J. Michael Straczynski's writing keeps the focus on the humanity of the main characters involved. The world is constantly seeming to try and swallow or overwhelm that aspect as the excellent artwork from artists Gordon Purcell and Andrew Pepoy details with perfect superhero-glossiness.