REVIEW: 'Genius: Cartel' #3 (of 5) by Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman, and Rosi Kampe

Adam Freeman and Marc Bernardin tighten the vice around their hero Destiny when she deviates from the mission to a plan of her own. Now outgunned and trapped while trying to rescue dozens of frightened women from the cartel's sex-trade, Destiny must use her superior intellect to find a way out alive in Genius: Cartel #3.

GENIUS: CARTEL #3 (OF 5)

Story: Adam Freeman, Marc Bernardin

Art / Cover: Rosi Kampe

Colors: Brad Simpson

Letters: Troy Peteri

Published: October 18, 2017

Diamond ID: AUG170655

Ignoring orders to assassinate the leader of a drug cartel, Destiny pursues her true mission—free two dozen young girls from the cartel’s sex-trade operation. With an army of mercenaries on her tail and the US border over 1,500 miles away, how will she fight her way out while protecting such fragile cargo?

Digital : $3.99

Print: $3.99

Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

When Destiny decides to alter the mission leaving her troops to complete the assassination of the cartel leader, she opts to lead the women away from the clutches of the sex traffickers. She soon realizes she can't do it alone without getting help from some of the terrified girls. Time is running out as the cartel approaches. She's been abandoned by her troops left only with a weapon and some explosives. Her handlers aren't happy as their star recruit has gone AWOL. At least one handler will enlist the help of an old friend to find Destiny amid all the chaos. 

Freeman and Bernardin really ratchet up the tension and suspense in this third installment testing Destiny's mettle and ingenuity. After all, the greatest military mind should have some obstacles and this one seems like an impossible task to overcome. The odds are stacked against her and that's what makes this issue so compelling. Elsewhere, Jameson goes to extraordinary lengths to find and help Destiny when no one else will. 

Rosi Kampe does some wonderful layouts that provide some big moments. From character designs to action scenes, there isn't a dull moment in the issue. Kampe's various perspectives give the book life, creating an energy that propels the reader from one page to the next. Brad Simpson's colors infuse it all with warm deep hues that ground it all so when a bullet exits a brain it's all the more gruesome...yet satisfying. 

In the miniseries' most pivotal chapter, Genius: Cartel #3 barrels through with intense action and dangerous new developments. This is the money issue that sets up the stakes, entraps the hero, and sets the stage for one hell of a penultimate story.