Extremity #5 Review

Dental Plan

Writer: Daniel Warren JohnsonArtist: Daniel Warren JohnsonPublisher: Image ComicsRelease Date: July 5, 2017Cover Price: $3.99

With this being one of my favorite ongoing comics, I was somewhat disappointed in the last issue as it seemed like things were rushing to an end. With how much world-building and hints of views within the world we were getting I feel this world is ripe for more storytelling but the issues have started to make me feel like this could go the way of a more small short story. Will my worries be quelled with the current issue or are we moving ever closer to this story's end? Find out along with some of my thoughts after the jump.

We first start off the issue with Thea, both younger and with both hands, as she draws a picture of her mother and runs off to show her father. We’ve had these glimpses quite a bit throughout the series so far, and this one isn’t particularly special, but it is accompanied by some pretty great art along with a diorama like view of their hideout.

This set piece is quickly contrasted as Jerome is ripping a tooth out of the mouth of the animal trainer from the previous issue. There’s a bit of talk about the ethical reasons behind the man not wanting to give up control of the very powerful weapon that Jerome wants before it turns to Jerome bringing Thea in on the torture herself. As she’s guided by her father to cut the man we catch a glimpse of the contrast between Thea with her father now, and at the beginning of the book. Her art and talent is tossed aside for further vengeance and hate.

We catch up with Thea’s brother as he floats along the skies and reflects on just how much his sister has changed since her mother's passing and her losing her hand. We leave him as he looks to be intercepted by the Praznina warship heading toward Thea and her tribe’s current location.

Without going into too much detail, from here this issue starts to push heavily on the emotional groundwork it’s been laying throughout the series. There’s a few dark turns and it doesn’t miss a moment to remind us just how much this family has changed due to the anger that fuels them. It really does a lot well on delivering on just enough of the emotional buildup to make these moments impactful while also making it known that the characters themselves are becoming aware of their own anger.

Overall I thought this issue was phenomenal. It makes an impact on emotional resonance that had been building up through the book to this point, but took a bit of a darker turn. It’s a point where we wonder if Thea and Jerome have gone too far while it seems they wonder the same question themselves. With things having progressed the way they have it also leaves you with the feeling that it may just be too late to turn back. This book overall just does a really great job of leaving emotional impact on characters ambiguous while also not having them feel empty. It’s a tightrope that would usually either feel empty of development or a little too on the nose.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue amazingly walks the tightrope of having emotional impact on the reader while leaving the characters own feelings slightly ambiguous. Five issues in this story is really starting to deliver on character progression that had been building throughout.

9.6/10