M.A.S.K. #5 (Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the 5th issue of M.A.S.K. from Image Comics & Skybound Entertainment!
What happens when just when things seem like their settled get up-ended? Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment
M.A.S.K. #5 by Dan Watters (Writer), Simon Parr (Artist & Cover), Pierluigi Casolino (Colorist), Rus Wooten (Letterer)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
The issue really surprised me by how much I enjoyed it, despite not being at all familiar with it’s source material. Full disclosure, I was born after aired on TV in the mid-1980’s. While yes I do remember watching some shows from that time period on reruns during my weekday afternoons as a child in the mid 1990’s, I can’t say I remember seeing this one in the rotation.
Going into this completely blind and not being familiar with a thing really didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the issue. It’s a story easily accessible and doesn’t leave you confused if you’re jumping in fresh like me. I also got a heavy vibe of that Saturday morning/weekday afternoon feeling from reading the story that so many are sure to remember and have fond memories of. Dan Watters did a really good job capturing that feeling so immaculately. The story inside the pages feels like an episode from a show that, despite maybe missing a recent episode or two you still can keep up with what’s going on.
The story is set up very nicely and doesn’t get too crazy or over the top, but rather builds things up as you would expect an episode from a cartoon series to do. The structure is laid out in such a way that it really kept me turning the page from one to the next. The ending also leaves you with a sense of anticipation that is sure to keep you coming back for more.
The Artwork
Simon Parr is in charge of the artwork for the issue and I was really impressed with their work. It’s hard to explain into words but you definitely get the sense of the 1980s cartoon vibe coming across the pages in the panels. From the way everyone is drawn, down to the way the vehicles look it all just has that nostalgic vibe you get from cartoons of that era. The artwork is also different from what you might see from anything else this week and it really does a great job complimenting the story in such a cohesive way.
Overall Grade: 7/10
A great issue that is easily accessible for any reader, no matter if they’re seasoned or new to the series. Dan Watters pens a fantastic story that feels right out of a Saturday morning, that is complimented wonderfully by artwork that matches the nostalgia.
