Invaders #5: War Ensemble

Comics are traditionally prone to hyperbole at times like this: “It all comes down to THIS!” “THE SENSES-SHATTERING CLIMAX!” and so on. But it’s no hyperbole to say that Invaders #5 really does explode with the quickening pace and dramatic energy inferred by the such proclamations. The pacing of this title has lagged a bit in the last two issues, but writer Chip Zdarsky absolutely knocks it out of the park this issue, bringing all his dangling plot threads to a head in one brilliantly plotted, expertly executed issue. Everything comes together so well, so dramatically, that you’d be forgiven if you thought it was written by a highly-seasoned author like Mark Waid or Geoff Johns rather than a relative newcomer like Zdarsky. But it’s great enough that he proves he’s a true talent who should be mentioned someday alongside those greats, and not just a flash in the pan “artist who happened to land some writing gigs.” But don’t take my word for it – read this comic and find out for yourself!

I didn’t even touch on the pencils by Carlos Magno and Butch Guice yet, but they’re bringing their A-game too. Guice brings his signature down-to-earth cool to flashback sequences, bringing an honesty and humanity to a simpler, band-of-brothers time. And Magno gets to go big with the action sequences, expertly rendering his page layouts in ways that perfectly complement the urgency of Zdarsky’s script. Every sequence has a desperation to it that cannot be ignored, quickening the pace until reaching the issue’s jaw-dropping conclusion.

What more is there to say? Not much, really. Flawlessly-executed comics like this don’t come along everyday. If you’ve been ambivalent about this title, NOW is the time to get onboard, because from here things are just gonna get bigger and wilder!