Comic Review: Death or Glory #5

Death or Glory #5

Image Comics

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Bengal

By some miracle, all of the good guys in Death or Glory survived issue #4. Now it’s time for everyone to relax a bit. Of course, with Rick Remender, moments of peace don’t last wrong. Like always, everything goes wrong.

Death or Glory never seems to slow down, and trades Remender’s usual dose of suffering for high octane thrills. Of course, the suffering is still there, but it feels different in Death or Glory. While titles like Low, Black Science, and Deadly Class often feel hopeless, I never feel down while reading Death or Glory. Instead, the book is thrilling and often comes with anxiety instead. It’s fast, relentless, and so entertaining.

Death or Glory #5 starts off with a few pages of relaxation and reflection before everything goes South again. Remender allows the reader to understand Glory’s relationships more than ever before, while also exploring how the organ market has affected all of the characters. Readers will especially learn a lot about Pablo, and how his faith is affected by his recent adventures with Glory. We learn about PTSD and how it has affected Pablo’s niece. The quiet moments are some of the most powerful moments in the series so far, but when things accelerate, they really pick up.

The second half of issue #5 has some of the fastest action yet. Many of the characters are finally converging, leading to an absolute mess with no rules. The impressive action flows seamlessly due to Bengals pencils and the panel layouts throughout the issue. Death or Glory feels like a wild action movie with no brakes, as the cars speed past and into each other. The action is easy to follow with clean art and suitable pacing that excels in a unique way. Books shouldn’t read this fast, yet somehow Remender and Bengal pull it off.

Outside of the rapid action is another beautiful issue that is both majestic and comical. Even the intense scenes are full of fun expressions and silly looks. Bengal injects a bit of humor in an otherwise serious series and makes it work. The art makes Death or Glory a package like no other.

Death or Glory continues to improve with each issue. The series has found an incredible amount of heart, with Remender and Bengal finding the perfect amount of chemistry. Death or Glory #5 is the issue that will make doubters believe in Glory if they don’t already.