It feels more natural doing this column on a Wednesday with it being New Comic Book Day and all. Plus, it allows me to plug my Fan Fest Pull List column which you can find here. Man, do I just love shameless self promotion. It really makes the world go round. Is it really so bad that I want you to read everything I write? I just want to celebrate my word thoughts with you. Welcome to the ego of the author.

Last week’s first volume of Awesome Comic Book Images (does this need a shorter title? I’m open for suggestions) saw, what I believe, is one of the perfect representations of Batman. Broken, bruised, battered but still marching on. The page encompassed the spirit and the essence of the Batman which made it an easy choice for the first selection. For week two though, I wanted to go with a little something darker. Darker then Batman, you say? Yes, darker then Batman.

Finally. I have been wanting to share this image for months but I found it rather difficult to pull the trigger on it. For starters there’s the graphic nature of it. Vision covered in blood looking like a serial killer, and I had a tough time figuring out when (if ever) was a good time to put an image like this up on Instagram. Plus when I found this panel (and fell in love with it) I was posting a lot of The Vision images on Instagram and felt that this one would have been going over board. I wanted to entice people not beat them over the head with it. Although that’s a line that can quickly get blurred, especially with me.

But this image though. Look at it. I mean really look at it. It’s so beautifully haunting. I must apologize because I know that the subtitle implies that Vision is becoming Hannibal Lecter, and while the visual may enforce that belief when removed from the story, it’s when you read the series that you fully understand that there is something else entirely going on. It’s not as dark and sinister as eating people per say (first off he’s a synthetic human… he doesn’t eat anything), but… wait. Maybe it is on the darkness level of eating people. If not on the same level maybe it’s in the ballpark. This comic is dark as hell guys.

While I constantly pour praise on Tom King and the story he weaves within the pages of The Vision I would be foolish not to mention the beautiful art work of Gabriel Hernandez Walta because it’s those visuals that make this story just as eerie as it deserves to be. Especially with this image. Look at the subtext being provided. Parts of Vision are shadowed in darkness while others open to the light. He wears the splatterings of blood like scars and painful reminders. The fact that it’s underneath his eye is no mistake. The image is moody, and eerie, and adds a depth to not only this scene but the story as a whole. I don’t know what else I can do to make you guys read this book.

Does anyone else notice how Vision kind of looks like Dr. Manhattan here? It can’t just be me, right? Dr. Manhattan was also known for being disattached (is that a word?) from the human race and not really understanding what makes a person tick emotionally. I can see the similarities in Vision for sure. I don’t think the resemblance is an accident.

Geeklings, I could easily do weeks of this column concerning the art work of The Vision but for now I’m going to leave you with this panel. This haunting panel of a man who is willing to do anything for his family. Anything to make them happy. Anything to make them feel… normal. Which is such a relative term. Especially for synthetic humans. But I wonder, if put in the same position whose to say that we wouldn’t do the same things as the Vision. Wouldn’t we do anything to make our family happy? But at what cost? God, I love the questions this book raises. Seriously if you need further proof on why you should read it, turn here. In the mean time let this panel haunt your face. Cause it’s been months since I read this issue and I still can’t shake it.