Usually, when you pick up the last book in a series, you do so with a bit of trepidation. Things could go one of two ways; it's really good, and we get another run, or it's bad and doomed for the dollar bin. Excellence has proven itself more than worthy of another run for Image Comics. Brandon Thomas begins with another nonlinear Spencer Dales flashback. It's so intense you have put the book down, or your palm sweat ruins the cover. Emilio Lopez's brilliance continues as he brings more heat with vibrant greens and blues. In any other scenario, this would make a scene feel cold and detached, but Emilio draws warmth from the hues and takes you on an emotional journey. Khary Randolph's intricate,anime-styled panels and cool wizardry allow you to feel the heat as you see young Spencer's frustration. He struggles to cast spells while being berated by harsh adult dialogue during a magic trial. This series has been Lopez's best colorwork since Mosaic and Spider Gwen. He and Randolph are a team that could pull off any comic, but when paired with great writing, spell casting, and epic fights, it brings Thomas' story to life.

Spencer and Monique succeed in getting what he wants out of the vault, but we're left hanging on how she'll play into the story because she barely appeared in this issue. It seemed a little rushed, and we have more questions than answers about Monique and female wizards, but that's what the next chapter is for, right? Raymond Dales is reading Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' when Spencer comes; it's a stroke of genius by Brandon Thomas! Also, another nod to this series being deeper, blacker, and more profound. It leaves you to wonder, has Raymond Dales had his own personal 'Ras the Destroyer' moment or, is he a calculated master manipulator. It doesn't even matter; Spencer Dales turns out to be the complete and total badass that every successful story needs. In another unexpected plot twist, Spencer was playing the long game with Aaron this entire time. Boy, does this young Wizard rumble and have some fire in the future for the Aegis!

Brandon Thomas took his time with the main characters to let this story marinate in their dysfunction and angst only to bring it full circle. The two Brothers have been through it to get to it and come out the other side stronger and ready to cast spells to bring the Aegis down from the root. Spencer ends up being a hero who is more than he seems, just as any person entrenched in black culture can identify. I'm not sure if that was Brandon Thomas's objective while developing the character, but he made the point. How many times have we heard people say you have to move in silence to reach your objectives? Thomas melded all these narratives into Excellence without using the same old platitudes or dragging along origin story dogma to hinder Spencer Dales and Aaron Mills from developing into awesome heroes in the future. Andres Juarez and Deron Bennet deserve a lot of credit for lettering, logos, and the design of Excellence. Artists that design the structure of comic books don't get much attention, but we can't overlook how important the designs and layout were to the intent of the team. Excellence is a great series created by some of the best emerging artists in the industry. It will be wonderful to see what unfolds for Spencer, Aaron, Monique, and the Aegis in the future!

Grade: A