Static: Season One #6 is written by Vita Ayala with art by Nikolas Draper-Ivey. Hardware: Season One #4 is written by Brandon Thomas with art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomayor. Static #6 was released on March 1st. Hardware #4 was released on February 22nd.
The Following Section Contains Spoilers for Static and Hardware
Hardware #4 is titled “Reprisals.” Instead of starting with our lead, this issue begins with Tiffany and Barraki. The two women have made a bold and potentially dangerous decision. They are holding a press conference to expose Edwin Alvin and attempt to clear Curtis’s name. Seeing this, Alva makes plans to eliminate all his annoyances.
In Singapore, Asher is still considering whether or not he is willing to take Alva’s deal. With the clock ticking down until Alva’s deadline, Curtis continues to repair his suit. As time passes, Tiffany and Barraki hold more press conferences. We also “hear” how other news outlets are responding to the Alva allegations.
The deadline has arrived. Asher did not sell out Curtis to Alva, but Asher believes it is no longer safe to let Curtis stay in his lab. Curtis expresses his disappointment in Asher’s weakness while he suits up for a fight. Curtis disables Asher’s tech and disarms his security in short order.
With the situation de-escalated, Curtis explains what he was doing while taking the long way to Singapore. Since his suit uses tech from Alva Industries, he needed to replace the components to prevent Alva from tracking him. Curtis uses his backdoor access to Alva’s systems to stay one step ahead. All this has led Curtis to believe that Alva can’t touch him. The problem is Alva has more resources than Curtis is aware of. An alert sounds as three missiles are detected over the lab. Alva has called in a favor from the military.
Back in Dakota, Tiffany and Barraki are being guarded at the university. Suddenly, voices can be heard coming from all directions. Outside the building, an army of men speaking in unison has amassed.
Hardware #4 is probably my favorite installment so far. I enjoyed seeing Tiffany and Barakki step up and take action. This is a prime example of strong female representation. Their presence also adds a layer of tension for the readers. Speaking of tension, this installment highlights how ruthless Alva is and how many connections he has access to.
The paneling in this issue is clean but a little stiff. This aesthetic fits Hardware; it just isn’t very eye-catching. I have a small problem with the Asher confrontation scene. It was unclear to me if Asher was planning to forcibly evict Curtis or subdue him or something else. I rate this issue: 8/10.
Static #6 is titled “Shock to the System.” Still in the Black Site Facility, Static and the other prisoners are ready to escape. However, Puff and her crew are more than willing to stop them. Shiv and Talon launch themselves at Static. Static puts himself between them and the prisoners and tells Darius to get the others out of there.
As Static fights the others, Puff yells at D-Struct for not doing anything. He reluctantly throws an energy blast at Static. However, Static is saved by Daisy’s power. Static recognizes D-Struct as Derek Barnett and reminds Derek that his loved ones wouldn’t be happy with his behavior.
After stopping Puff and Talon with a shock, Static is attacked by Shiv again. Static figures out that Shiv’s energy blades work like his electricity. He needs something physical to channel his electricity through that can disrupt Shiv’s energy. Luckily, Frieda has just entered the room and tosses her baseball bat to Static. Baseball bat in hand, Static duels Shiv until Static cracks him across the jaw.
Once the “Meta-Breed” has been subdued, Static gives a “not bad” hero speech. He talks about how he wants to save everyone and that they should be working together. Over the intercom, Agent Jones gives Static two choices: “join us or become a missing persons cold case.” Heroically, Static bluffs that they’ll take the third option: leave with no problems.
At that moment, Ritchie tells Static that he located the server room. It is directly below them. Static eats the last of the glucose tablets. After going “god mode,” Static fries the servers, and causes a blackout.
Days later, Virgil tells his parents that he will continue being Static and broadcasts a message all over the city. He understands the risks, but he believes the Bang Babies need to know they are not alone. His father hugs him, tells Virgil how proud he is, and lets Virgil know his training starts tomorrow. As Virgil is leaving the house, Sharon throws him an updated costume.
During a news broadcast, Static hacks the signal. Static gives a speech about not letting the media spin their story. He tells the Bang Babies watching that anger that they are feeling can be fuel for great and positive change. Agent Jones is watching the broadcast as well, but he’s not alone. From the shadows, someone attacks Jones, pulling him into the darkness. For fans of the cartoon series, this is set up for Ebon.
On a different day, the Hawkins are enjoying dinner with Virgil’s friends. They’re all having a pleasant time until Virgil gets an alert on his phone. The issue and the season end with a shot of Static flying through the skies.
Static #6 is a pitch-perfect ending to an electrifying season. And I do mean season because at the bottom corner of the final page, Static: Season Two is confirmed for Summer 2022. We also have confirmation that Nikolas Draper-Ivey will return to do the art.
There is not much else I can say about this series that I haven’t stated before. The art is dynamic. The writing and dialogue are smart and witty. The Ebon scene has horror movie vibes. Both of Static’s speeches are passionate, real, and heroic. Static’s “I am the god in the machine” moment was just too perfect, in my opinion. I rate both this issue and this season: 10/10.
Icon and Rocket #6 is set to be released on March 22nd. Hardware #5 is set to be released on April 5th. The fourth installment of Milestone Returns, Blood Syndicate, will be released this year. Static: Season Two is planned for Summer 2022.
This obviously won’t be my last review of Static, but I probably will only be writing about Static from now on. Don’t hold me to this but there’s a chance I will make a YouTube video that compiles my thoughts on Static.
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TL/DR: Hardware and his allies try to fight back, but Alva is more dangerous than they thought. 8/10
Static defeats the “Meta-Breed,” saves the prisoners, and sets himself up to be the hero of Dakota. 10/10
Static Season Two is confirmed.
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