HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION #3, by Titan Comics on 1/15/25, finds Evie and Dahlia teaming up to get Rosaline to safety while the secret mastermind behind their troubles plans a monstrous test.
Credits:
- Writer: Charles Ardai
- Artist: Ace Continuado, Juan Castro
- Colorist: Asifur Rahman
- Letterer: David Leach
- Cover Artist: Kendrick Lim (cover A)
- Publisher: Titan Comics
- Release Date: January 15, 2025
- Comic Rating: Mature (nudity, language)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION #3:
Recap:
When last we left Dahlia in Heat Seeker: Combustion #2, she and Caesar learned that Rosaline, the daughter of a scientist involved in special weapons research, may have a deeper connection to her father’s research than anyone suspected. Unfortunately, Rosaline was now in Evie’s hands. The issue ended with Evie asking for help from an unlikely source in Austria.
Plot Analysis:
Heat Seeker: Combustion #3 begins with Dahlia’s specialty in disguises, deception, and misdirection. Evie knows she can’t get Rosaline to safety without Dahlia’s help, so the two make a pact in an Austrian hotel room to get Rosaline out of the city with Caesar’s help.
Caesar makes an obvious show of entering the hotel, wearing a simple cap and generic street clothes. Inside, Dahlia cuts Rosaline’s hair and makes her up to look like Caesar, while Evie puts on a disguise to look like Dahlia. The goal is to have Evie and Rosaline leave to get to the train station, disguised as Dahlia and Caesar, while the men hunting for them think Rosaline and Evie are still in the hotel.
The plan almost works until Evie is cornered by mercenaries at the train station, “forcing” Evie to get naked and sweaty inside the station’s VIP spa to ambush her attackers. Evie almost succeeds, but a former colleague finds Rosaline in her hiding place before Evie can retrieve her.
The issue concludes with all parties converging at the secret lab of an associate of Professor Preiss, who happens to be the real mastermind behind the weapons research. The mastermind’s next test, if successful, will be catastrophic.
First Impressions:
The fun of Dahlia’s exploits is her talent for deception and misdirection. Heat Seeker: Combustion #3 gives you plenty of character swapping and double looks from writer Charles Ardai to keep you on your toes. However, the number of bait-and-switches gets confusing.
Artwork and Presentation:
Ace Continuado and Juan Castro are the deciding factors in this issue as one character assumes the identity of another character and back again until you’re never certain who’s who. To be fair, the narrative is mostly easy to follow, but the art team does a fine job of intentionally keeping you guessing.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Charles Ardai’s tale of international espionage takes on James Bond levels of stakes when the mastermind’s plan is revealed. If you were waiting to find out where this story is headed and why it should matter, Ardai spins a whopper of a plan to get you invested in Dahlia’s success.
The Negatives:
The number of bait-and-switches is where readers might struggle with Heat Seeker: Combustion #3. Visually, you should be fooled, but when you have at least four characters swapping places, it can be tough to track.
Final Thoughts:
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HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION #3 delivers a penultimate issue in the miniseries that’s jam-packed with clever ploys and misdirects, clever twists, and world-ending stakes. Charles Ardai finally unveils the secret mastermind’s plan, and it’s a doozy. Plus, the art team’s intentionally confusing art will keep you on your toes. That said, too much intentional confusion can be just confusing.
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