This issue was like
While loving the portrait of Xytan, and the Prophet's one (yay for a different Prophet, not the same crowned one, i appreciate that), Cortana looks like another AI, that isn't Cortana's face at all, Lord Hood is...well...Lord Hood. One of the most fucking awesome characters in the history of Halo.
Then we get to the ships. Again, i love the name, Punic (heh, I'd rather have a Caesar one, but...), but the ship's kitbashed again. At least, AT LEAST, it's squared-ish...I fear the moment when they'll implement the designs from Halo 4, and they said they will. So I'll give this one a chance knowing what's to come next.
The CAS apparently they're going with the H2 - H2A one, the one with the buildings on it...can't say neither yay or nay, I hope they'll make the standard one too...then the new Cov ships are meh, doesn't really resemble Covenant ships, too much complicated, too much post war.
I laughed reading the beginning of the article. Seriously, Escalation is a pile of garbage. Both lore-wise and story-wise, it's just bad. Also awfully drawn. I can't believe they think that anyone is going to be emotionally invested in Tanaka with the shitty introduction they gave her in Escalation.
The only potential in that design is the potential that the UNSC finally got some common sense and buried the command center within the hull of their vessel.
The first ship we've seen in Halo, which is even the first Human thing we see in Halo ever, is the Pillar of Autumn and its beautifully exposed bridge. Even in Cole Protocol, Thel admired human's bravado in putting the bridge so exposed.
This doesn't mean that a more reasonable design wouldn't be logic, but...that's not a point for them.