This volume is very much about setting up the backstory for the universe. Essentially the alternate timeline this all takes place in. Where supes come from, and how they've helped shape the world since World War 2. Early on there's a shot of a destroyed Brooklyn Bridge while the Twin Towers are standing in the background. If you wondered what that was about, this is where you find out.

Hughie and Annie remain the only likeable characters in the entire series, and it's almost like this volume is forcing them both down a dark path to ensure they also end up on the unlikeable character pile. From memory that doesn't happen, but come on Garth, throw us a bone.

The scene that stands out the most in this book, possibly the series is the 9/11 scene. It's horrific, but I find it the most realistic portrayal of super powered individuals in a real world setting.