Right from the opening page, we can tell from the art itself that the tone of this story is going to be dark, and that certainly takes skill. Ediano Silva’s work is very Greg Capullo-esque, and his attention to detail on all of the characters is excellent.
Clearly picking up where issue 4 left off, this issue opens with the four main characters attempting to access the astral realm. Once again, we see a title from Dynamite that plays on occult themes, which either reflects the interests of writer Ian Edginton himself or Dynamite Comics as a whole. Edginton does a good job of permeating the book with a sense of overarching terror and dread, and the art supplements that mood perfectly.
There’s one scene where the character of the Tsar brutally disposes of an underling, so the creators don’t shy away from depicting graphic violence. The character seems imposing and sinister as it is, and scenes like this add further to the mystique. Even the cybernetic Aria gives off an eerie vibe merely from its design, clearly showcasing the threat that the heroes of the series face.
If that weren’t enough, as three of the four characters from the beginning are sent into the astral plane, one character is left behind to foment his own plans, which clearly do not seem to be benevolent. If the Tsar and Aria back in the real world weren’t enough, the three main heroes enter the astral plane and come across some demonic looking beasts that begin to attack them. The team makes mincemeat out of them, only to discover that an old nemesis has been resurrected, prepared to cause mischief and mayhem once again. The issue ends on a bleak note but leaves the reader intrigued as to where all these plot threads are going to go. Definitely recommended.
-Berk Koca