Smallville: Chaos #5 Review

Written by: Bryan Q. Miller
Art by: Agustin Padilla and Daniel HDR
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: July 4, 2014

Family Affair

The last few issues of Smallville: Chaos have been so good.  Three awesome cliffhangers followed by one of the grimmest issues in the series yet.  The thing is, I would enjoy this comic if the characters just sat around playing pinochle on a Friday night.  That may sound ridiculous, but Bryan Q. Miller nails the characters and dialogue so well that it would be like watching an episode from the TV show. An episode taking place during a Friday night pinochle game.  Now I want that episode.  I'm not kidding.

This issue pulls back the overreaching story of Chaos and focuses on two plot lines.  Superman and Lois Lane on Earth Majestic and the Eclipso situation.  One has been my favorite in this mini series while the other has been at the bottom of my list.  If you have been reading my past reviews you'll know which is which.  Here's a hint...my least favorite rhymes with Twolipsohh.



Twolipsohh Eclipso has been infecting S.T.A.R. Labs with a few key holdouts.  It all stems from Superman's actions in the first issue of this arc, but this issue pushes the story forward more than the past four issues combined.  While I've already mentioned Eclipso isn't my favorite, this issue made me change my mind a bit.  That all has to do with a surprise guest star.  Of course, Bryan Q. Miller pulls him out of the "past issues" hat and that's what makes him (and this series) great.  The reader has a history with him so it's right to the action.  How much I don't like Eclipso is how much I love this character.

Meanwhile, Superman and Lois are right where we left them at the end of last issue, trying to find the Earth Majestic's Fortress of Solitude.  It's a gamble, but desperate times...  You'll have to read the issue to see what they find, but I like where Miller is going with this.  Lois is about to show her strong, take no prisoners attitude and  fans will surely smile at who's on the wrong end of her tongue lashing.

I liked what we got in this issue.  The Eclipso story needed some more focus and something to bring it up to the awesomeness of the other plot lines.  It got both.  We still don't know what's fully going on on Earth Majestic, but the cliffhanger puts that in the backseat. As always, I can't wait until next week.

Agustin Padilla and Daniel HDR continue giving this book the look I love.  The contrast between the dark Eclipso half with the bright (and white) Superman  half is great.  The guest star was my favorite part, but I also liked a panel that seemed to be an opposite of the Christopher Reeve Superman, substituting the smile with a tear.

Bits and Pieces:

Great writing + great art = a great comic.  This is a great comic.  Read it.  Thank me later.

9.3/10