On the first page of Secret Wars 2099 #3, Black Widow 2099 asks, “Defenders? What are you defending exactly?” That’s starting to become my attitude towards this series. Peter David and Will Sliney deliver a fun, action-packed issue, complete with a super-powered drinking battle, but with three issues published and only two remaining, the series feels like it’s just getting out of first gear and is still unclear about its stakes and theme.

For those who have been loving all the futuristic versions of Marvel favorites, we’re introduced to even more characters in this issue; specifically Roman, the Sub-Mariner of 2099, and Valkyrie. These aren’t entirely new creations.  David and Andrew Wildman created Roman for the original Spider-Man 2099 series in the 90s. In that universe, Roman was an Alchemax creation who turned against the corporation to become the king of New Atlantis. However, there’s no indication that his 90s origin is still part of this continuity. In fact, all we get on Roman’s backstory is one single word: “circumstances.” In the same fashion, Valkyrie is called “Brunhilde,” which has traditionally been the name her 616 version. However, it’s unfair to assume anything about her, because David reveals nothing.

The art for the series continues to excel. One of Will Sliney’s strengths lies in his facial expressions; typically, he’s able to include at least one ‘what the shock’ look from one of the characters. The expressions are a little more subtle in this issue, but he gets to put a couple of great looks on Martin Hargood’s face as he attempts to flee the heroes. I also love Sliney’s wide shot panels, and he includes a fun one when Hercules punches Roman through the Nueva York skyline with a thunderous “KRUUNK.”  There are also a couple of great visual gags, like when the Hulk 2099 cheap shots Hercules with a punch that calls back a similar scene in the first “Avengers” movie.  There’s also a billboard for “Vinder: Your Virtual Partner,” which, in the world of Tinder & Grindr, will probably become reality a lot sooner than 2099.

The star of this issue’s art may be colorist Antonio Fabela. I’ve talked previously about how I love his use of neon blues, greens and purples before, and how he uses them to shape the look of this world. Once again, his coloring makes certain scenes punch through the page, enough that with every turned page you may want to recoil. Anytime Silver Surfer 2099 is in a panel, the light blues and silvers make him stick out from the backgrounds while also reinforcing his power set, which seems other-worldly. The colors used during Hargood’s torture help convey not only his pain but the lengths Miguel Stone is willing to go to. There does seem to be one anomaly when it comes to color, an entire page shows Roman with normal skin and a green outfit, instead of a blue skin and purple outfit.

It may have taken 60+ pages, but it seems like we may finally be getting to the heart of the series in this issue when we discover that anyone in this future who is a practicing super hero must work for Alchemax, or else risk being labelled a villain. This revelation shifts the focus of this book away from Captain America and towards Miguel Stone, it is hard not to notice that Cap only gets a few lines in the entire issue. Then, the issue takes a darker tone, as it sees Miguel running a pretty ruthless operation and portrays him as someone who isn’t afraid to kill, multiple times, to get the information he’s looking for.

Despite their humorous tone, the strongest character beats actually go to Hercules.  He’s been longing for someone to call a peer and equal, so of course he’s going to be full of ego when he meets Vakyrie. I couldn’t have been more pleased to see the drinking battles, sucker punches, and other various elements of the beloved Greg Pak Hercules runs show up here.

In other “Secret Wars” series, it has been easier to invest in the characters than in Secret Wars 2099. Perhaps that’s because those characters are versions of people we already know well, specifically Peter Parker or Old Man Logan. David’s and Sliney’s characters are slightly familiar futuristic versions of our favorites, but after three issues of Secret Wars 2099 I can’t say that I know these character very well.  Secret Wars 2099 continues to frustrate, as it hasn’t yet established its stakes and is only, just now, beginning to reveal its theme.  At this point, it’s far from the strongest “Secret Wars” title.