Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

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Of course they would.  And the resulting destruction proves too much for even the Authority to handle, and millions of human and alien lives are lost. Tao's plan works better than even he probably realized.  As a result, the Authority makes the decision we've all paid to see... they're taking over the United States, because the current leadership has used up all its chances.  The most intriguing thing about this decision is the fact that they do it with the full knowledge that Tao was behind it.  Sure, Tao set the stage, but as John Lynch declares near the end, it was the government's fault for taking such an obvious and risky bait. Just because Tao gave them the technology, doesn't mean for a second that they wouldn't have used it had they gotten it some other way.  That the Authority comes to the same conclusion is both refreshing, and also quite a bit frightening.  It will be very interesting to see just how accountable the Authority will hold the country's leaders once they take over, and exactly who will take the blame.  Something that many Wildstorm titles have is the claim that the President is really one of the lower officials, so who will really take the fall?   

The characterisation is excellent.  Tao comes across as very cold and harsh, providing a counterpoint to Holden’s near guilt at the carnage.  Jack Hawksmoor is shown as a true leader, while the Doctor finally gets over his problems with using his powers.  Here, he slows down time for the evacuation, allowing countless lives to be saved.  To see him use his powers so creatively, especially in light of the painful reminder that he has limitations early on, is a real joy.  Sadly, we don’t really see much of the Sleeper team beyond the first few pages, but, for those of us who don’t know them, it’s not a big loss.  Hawksmoor’s grief at the losses and his desperate search for someone to blame struck a chord in me, although I’d have loved to see the discussion the team held about the Coup D'etat.  The final page, the Authority’s announcement to the world, is one of the most dramatic cliff-hangers in comic-book-dom.