Hardware Season One #3 Review

Writer: Brandon Thomas / Artists: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomayor / DC Comics Hardware out here going on a world tour! Queue up A Tribe Called Quest.  In Hardware #3, Hardware is on the run from the authorities and Edwin Alva for his supposed responsibility for the Big Bang, as well for stealing Alva Industries materials to fabricate his suit.  Hardware has to clear his name, but he can only do that if he can get some space between him and law enforcement, as well as tinker with his suit so he can’t be tracked. That leads him to Singapore, where he can blend in with the people while he finds his next angle.  I said it last issue, but it remains true this time around. I love how this story is shaping up to be like a political thriller. Our protagonist is a good guy, but the rest of the world sees him as a villain. Every panel and page you are left on edge as a viewer because you know he can’t trust anyone, but you want him so desperately to start to figure things out. So far, it seems like every step forward Hardware takes, the circumstances cause him to take two steps back. You hate to see it for Hardware, but you love to see it from an entertainment standpoint. 

None of this tension would exist in the same way if it wasn’t for Denys Cowan’s art. What more can I say other than every inch of Hardware #3 is permeating with pure genius? The man’s work is next level. His style fits so much with the themes and overall feel of this story. I…