Author(s): Gail Simone
Artist(s): Michael Shelfer
Colorist(s): Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel
Genre: Action
Published Date: 08/08/2018
?WARNING: This review contains major spoilers!!?
Recap
Having had her “Luck” power turned against her by the Topaz’s power dilation ability, Neena has traveled to Japan to learn to better control her ability by studying with Shang
-Chi, the one and only Master of Kung Fu (who happens to be smoking hot in Domino’s opinion) and while drooling…I mean studying with him they go out for a “break” only to be set upon by some of Shang-Chi’s enemies.
In the meantime, Domino’s fellow Posse members Outlaw and Diamondback have gone in search of Domino’s new enemies Topaz and Prototype at the defunct facility where the Domino was experimented on and boy have they found them!
Review
Don’t you hate it when you out on a “HOT” date and a whole bunch of your crush’s enemies ruin the moment by arriving just as things were getting interesting? No? Well, that’s exactly what has happened to Domino and Shang-Chi. The two square off in a nightclub against the gang of former enemies who’s spokesperson is M’nai, a shadowy figure in a Fedora former friend raised side by side with Shang-Chi and now known as the Midnight Sun, who reveals that they have been sent to make Domino suffer…
At Halycon Electives Prodigy and Topaz have the drop on Outlaw and Diamondback but as Diamondback says don’t ever underestimate a former member of the serpent society… or how crazy these ladies are as Topaz discovers too late that Diamondback has dropped a whole bunch of explosives in the immediate vicinity!! BOOM!! When the smoke clears Topaz is down and dang it Outlaw’s hats ruined as Prodigy casts Diamondback aside races to the fallen Topaz’s side cursing Domino’s two friends as being as “bad” as she is (for why see he feels this way see issue 4)
In the club in Japan Neena focuses and dishes out some buttkickery against their assailants in a wonderfully dynamic combat scene with David Baldeon’s layouts and beautifully executed by new #TeamDomino member, artist Michael Shelfer. However, there are a lot of them and only one of Neena!
Meanwhile at Halycon Prodigy reveals to Outlaw and Diamondback, after again bemoaning how they as “Glamorous” mutant and hero have never truly suffered in their lives, that during the experimentation because he and Dom were linked that torturers tried to make Domino more powerful by hurting him and that because Topaz saw Dr. Rossini ( a true mutant hater) hurting the boy she had come to love every day and the fact that she herself was a mutant damaged her deeply emotionally and psychologically. We now jump between the fighting in Japan and the emotional scene as Prodigy reveals that When Neena was rescued by her mother from the project Dr. Rossini ordered him put to death but Topaz helped him escape and they lived as runaways until their powers fully manifested… this clearly tugs on Outlaw’s heartstrings as she moved in and try and comfort Prodigy (Outlaw you way too nice gal) as we jump back to the fray with Neena slowly losing ground to such a large number of assailants. It does not help that this whole time Shang-Chi has not thrown a punch…Neena has a moment of doubt but she needn’t have because when he strikes its pure Kung Fu glory!
Back at Halycon Topaz regains consciousness and immediately attacks Outlaw hurting her in the process. Diamondback attempts to intervene but is attacked a seriously hurt by Prodigy from behind as the two mutants reveal their distaste for their own kind and their intent to destroy Domino… Outlaw is faced with a choice of fighting them but risking her fallen comrade’s life to spare Domino facing them alone or not. Diamondback makes the choice for her telling her to bust them up and Outlaw obliges dishing out a mega punch which catches prodigy as he and the hateful Topaz teleport away leaving an angry Outlaw with the Topaz’s father the mad Dr. Rossini who has been on the periphery of the fight the whole time…and let’s just say the karmic wheel finally catches up with him…
Neena’s not winning, there are too many of them as she dodges an attack from a bad guy with knives for hands! Things seem bleak until Shang-Chi offers a revelation! Her gift responds to her emotional state! Its always responded to her fear as chaos but what if she remains calm… the next two pages are absolute magic as Shang-Chi sends Neena to the bar for a drink asking her not to spill and watching Neena calmly walk through the crowd of tough guys and letting her gift work its magic as they take each other down without Domino laying a hand on any of them is glorious plain and simple. Neena remembers who she is and that she controls the playing field and as she returns to Shang-Chi with the drink (not a drop spilled as requested) our girl has her mojo back!! The Master of Kung Fu advises the rest of the awestruck heavies to rather be on their way or he’ll leave them alone with Domino!!
We cut to the hills in Japan where Topaz and Prodigy have teleported to. Topaz is unhappy with the how their encounter with Outlaw and Diamondback ended but is still intent on destroying Domino however that is struck from her mind as she stares in shock at the damage wrought from Outlaw punching Prodigy mid-teleport!
Wow! What an issue!! Gail Simone has never been more on point in this series with her writing which I didn’t think possible considering how well written the last four issues have been but she takes it to another level of brilliance here. Everything from Neena’s internal monologue which is simultaneously brilliant and hilarious (Neena thinking about what base she would like to get to with Shang-Chi is a thing of comedic perfection) to Outlaw complaining about Diamondback ruining her hat made me laugh out loud. Even more fantastic is how in this issue she completes turning the two “villains” of the piece into full three-dimensional characters, a process started in issue 4. I also love Gail’s Outlaw more and more every issue.
Artist Michael Shelfer’s art is absolutely, beautifully brilliant and whoever decided to bring him on to assist on this issue for David Baldeon is to be complemented as he is an excellent choice. His Neena is gorgeous and his pencils fit issue 5 seamlessly in with the past four issues and maintain the clean line consistency we have seen from Baldeon in preceding books. As usual, Jesus Aburtov’s colors are magnificent and really help make the art pop while Clayton Cowles effects lettering is excellent. Another amazing issue!!!
Final Thoughts
This comic continues to outdo itself week after week! #TeamDomino deliver a book full of action, drama, humor, and fun with character development in an amazingly written, beautifully drawn, colored and lettered package that continues to surpass every expectation a fan of Domino like myself could have for a solo title. In other words perfection!
Writing – 10/10
Storyline – 10/10
Art – 10/10
Color – 10/10
Cover Art – 10/10
Overall – 10/10 (again!!!)