Gregg Hurwitz pushes the boundaries on his Orphan X series in terms of both the grand style of storytelling as well as the limits of the protagonist who finds himself on the opposite side of where he started on his path for justice.
Evan Smoak finds himself on opposite ends of a moral quandary Tommy Stojack. More than just his armorer, he’s become a friend over the years and the more emotions come into play, the more Evan begins to lose his grip over his own morality when facing into the abyss. What follows is a battle of morally gray fronts with Evan leading his one man crusade against Tommy who has cast his die with some misguided youths in hopes of redeeming the youngsters.
Hurwitz writes some of the most cinematic and vivid action sequences that make your heart pound with each gunshot and well-placed martial arts move. It’s almost sad that we haven’t seen an action packed movie or a tv series featuring Orphan X in action but Hurwitz leaves as little to imagination as possible with his descriptive prose that walks readers excitingly through the stupendous combat sequences.
While the high-caliber action is certainly a treat, it’s the character evolutions for Evan and Tommy particularly that truly take the cake. With moralities muddled in gray and bonds fringed with secrets and uncomfortable conversations, one can’t help but feel caught between two sides that both have their merits as well as their hesitations. These ambiguous beliefs are built up bit by bit in a superb manner by the author as he compels readers to take both sides of the equations into consideration before we see the momentous clash between the titans that won’t leave your memory soon for certain. It’s bold, raw, and tinged with an anxiety so natural that it’s hard to beat.
Nemesis is an excellent turning point in the Orphan X series with great story arcs that embrace meaningful and engaging themes distinct to each character and also opens the door for an even rawer and emotionally beaten Evan like you would never expect by the end of the narrative. Hurwitz throws a curveball that will leave you stunned for the better part of a day when you finally reach the end.
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