Writer – Mary Jo Duffy
Artist – Ricardo Villamonte
Inker – Dave Simons
Colours – Andy Yanchus
Letters – Janice Chiang

Crystar and his Crystal Warriors currently reside in the Land of Order and while things should be fine and everyone worry-free, Crystar is quiet and obviously full of sorrow. Ika, Warbow and his men want to know what has the prince in such a funk and while he is reluctant to talk about it, he does so and relates a tale about an event that happened many years previous on the very day they find themselves. It details a battle of which he and Moltar were a part of as well as the role that their friend and fellow warrior played. Though they came out victorious, their comrade, Heyatt, did not. Jo Duffy provides one of the best issues to appear in this series with a story that features love, loyalty and loss. Drawn by artist Ricardo Villamonte, the tale moves effortlessly from one situation to the next until that final scene when Crystar and Moltar share that one earth-shattering moment that will affect their lives for all time. Duffy’s story is incredibly moving and it shows that the brothers were not always at odds with each other and that in some things, they were able to stand together. The book is almost like a small epic in its scope and the way it is told and it puts all the previous issues to shame. If only Duffy could have brought this amount of effort and ability to the rest of the series, perhaps it would have lasted longer than it did. What really brings this book home is the fact that while Crystar started it off, it ends with Moltar reflecting back upon the same moment, proving that he still feels and that there is still some humanity and still a beating heart within his chest. A truly fantastic issue on every level.

5 out of 5