Arcbound #5: Just Good Fun

Arcbound is a bombastic series and has been from the start. Even so, Arcbound #5 manages to up the stakes, in part by finally getting Kai and company to the Great Vault. At the same time, though, relatively little of note happens as the team invades the Great Vault. Much of the violence in Arcbound #5 is standard fare for the series. Kai and Barnes deliver a few quips, but mostly it’s a shoot ‘em up and hack ‘n slash affair. Even so, given the series’ focus on reaching the Great Vault, the story’s advancement to this point is satisfying. Further, the final page delivers a major plot development, especially for readers who have been paying attention to the fringe world building details mentioned thus far.

Character development continues to be limited at best. Even with a major development in Arcbound #5 that concerns Kai, little more is established about him. The exception to this–sort of–is Xander. He remains largely a jerk, but he is a jerk with an established personality. His interaction with Kyra is effective from a character point of view because it is fun to see him interact with a new character. Snyder and Tieri make Xander’s interactions distinct to those involved, something that is not the case with most of the series’ characters.

Kyra’s return in Arcbound #5 is most welcome, even if it doesn’t trigger a major response from Kai before the issue ends. The character wasn’t necessarily an unresolved story point; once she was informed of Kai’s “death,” her absence from the series made sense. Snyder and Tieri smartly return to the character here as an important part of the plot which is an effective way to bring her back with even more importance than she had when the series began.

Smallman’s art makes Kyra’s return even more impressive thanks to the amount of emotion he brings out in the character. Smallman’s art tends toward straight lines and sharp angled corners. This proves very effective with characters, especially in facial closeups. Kyra’s first appearance in Arcbound #5 is hearing an alert, jumping out of bed, and responding to her husband’s signal. The issue’s fifth panel is set almost entirely on Kyra’s face. Her eyes and lips possess the same straight line, sharp angled corner quality. Despite not having a softer, more organic quality, Smallman captures incredible depth of feeling. Kyra hasn’t been seen since the second issue (and she was a minor character even before that), but that one panel immediately communicates to the reader her emotional state and removes any doubt over whether she would help her husband.

Kai receives the same treatment in this sequence. Smallman emphasizes uncertainty in the closeups on him, to the point that in the final panel his eyes are tightly shut as he almost begs the Great Vault’s security to let the ship in. His straight, closed eyes beneath a sharp brow serve as an effective in-universe counterpoint to Kyra. Thanks to Smallman’s art, the reader already knows what Kyra will do. But even so, the reader can feel the uncertainty and even fear behind Kai’s closed eyes.

The contrasting color choices further enhance the contrasting emotion of both sides of this sequence. Kyra is working at a red panel, the glow of which is on her face. Meanwhile, Kai is sitting on his ship, bathed in blue-green. William’s work here reinforces the emotion that Smallman generates. Kai feels cold and alone, consistent with his fear that his wife won’t come through. By contrast, Kyra’s emotional state is underscored by a hot red. Though Arcbound #5 turns into a near constant action romp following these opening pages, this is an impressive and nuanced visual sequence.

The action romp part of the issue sees a lot of well drawn violence from gruesome fights and giant explosions. Beaudoin’s choice of font, color, and opacity for the accompanying sound effects makes it all the more fun.