Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Secret Wars #5 of 8
Marvel Comics
Hickman, Ribic & Svorcina
"Secret Wars" provides a slow read as some of the background of the event is revealed, the investigation to find the missing characters begins and a funeral occurs. The comic book gives the reader a lot to look forward to in future issues but spends much of this issue setting things up for the final three issues. The artwork is good but absent any action and with a limited cast it doesn't get a chance to stretch its legs much. This is a decent read in this event.
The comic opens with a private funeral for Strange. Doom killed him in the previous issue but no one needs to know that. Doom sets Valeria on her mission to find the lot that killed him. Once alone, Doom heads underground.
Interestingly enough, Doom has a new player hidden away. This character is the true creator of the word they inhabit. To be more accurate this character helped harness the energy and Doom took the leap to make something new. The dialogue here was hard to follow and I'm not sure why Doom even paid this character a visit.
Finally, Valeria brings together her cast to investigate the missing characters. Based on the information she has it seems she is aware that Doom is hiding something and its reasonable to assume she's going to uncover the truth in short order.
The comic book gives the reader answers and pushes the plot forward towards its endgame. The book doesn't have much in the way of tension, action or drama. It quite literally reads like a set of information told in a series of conversations. It's not the worst thing in the world but it doesn't provide anything memorable either.
The artwork is good. The comic has a cloudy look to it that gives this issue a dream-like appearance. I hadn't noticed this in previous issues. The comic doesn't have any action and that makes it harder on the artwork because the expressions become paramount. Since this issue reads like an informational one that doesn't provide much drama, it shows in the artwork unfortunately. The artwork does what it can with a slower paced issue.
"Secret Wars" turns the corner for the finale by setting things up in this issue. Valeria starts her investigation into the missing characters and seems to be on a very interesting scent. The comic book provides answers as to how Doom became God in this new world. The artwork makes the most of a rather tame issue. This is an average read that will fit nicely in a collection but doesn't give much bang for a single issue.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
