Polite Dissent

Inhumans #11 and 12 No Matter the Cost, parts 3 and 4
Sean McKeever, writer
David Ross, penciler

The beginning of Inhumans #11 is well done. Through a series of sepia-toned memories and family pictures, the back story of Terry Halley Jr., the antagonist of the tale, is told.

His brother William dies at age 8 from an aortic aneurysm. It is very unusual for a child to die of an aortic aneurysm unless it was caused by blunt trauma (which this wasn’t). Most aortic aneurysms are due to bad arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and occur in older individuals. Some childhood aneurysms are caused by Marfan’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder that has a definite look to it — tall and thin (think Abraham Lincoln; there is some speculation that he had Marfan’s). About 2% of other aortic aneurysms are congenital, and this is probably what his brother had. McKeever is right that a ruptured aortic aneurysm will kill instantly.

His father dies at age 52 from “complications due to liver failure.” The main cause of liver failure is alcohol abuse. Sure enough, if you look at the three family pictures of Terry Haller Sr., he is always holding a drink, and looking more and more disheveled in each picture. Clever.

Both his mother and wife die of “accidental overdoses” of medicines. I suspect his mother’s was a suicide (so soon after the death of his father), and his wife’s probably was too. Most overdoses of antidepressants are.

His son is born with an unnamed genetic condition. Terry tries everything to cure his son including gene therapy, holistic medicine, shamans, and psychics but nothing works.

Gene therapy is a fascinating concept. Basically, in a genetic disorder where we know which exact gene is wrong, is there a way we can correct it? Muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia are all good candidates for this therapy because we know precisely which gene is incorrect. The problems lie in getting the good gene into the right place in the correct cell without causing more problems. Not an easy task and no good solutions have been found…yet. Watch for gene therapy to advance dramatically in the next decade.

Nitpick time.

1. In issue #11 and #12, Terry Haller’s son is shown in a hospital bed with what looks like a large wire going to his left chest. I assume this is supposed to be the lead to his cardiac monitor, but monitors require 4 small leads, not one large one.
2. His nasal canula (oxygen tubing) in issue #12 is wrong as well. I’ve covered this before (with pictures!) so I won’t go into depth here.
3. Finally, at the end of Inhumans #12, Nahrees is reunited with her “boyfriend” Damon, who she believed had been killed. In issue #10, Damon is shot in the back and falls about 1 foot to land on the grass. Yet in the hospital he is shown with his head swathed in bandages, and his hair shaved as if he had brain surgery. It’s not clear how he went from shot in the back to a head wound. Maybe the bad guy ran him over with the car as he left?