Comic Review: Journey Into Mystery (2019-) #5

Journey Into Mystery (2019-) #5

Marvel Comics

Writers: The McElroys

Artist: André Lima Araújo

The adventures of the Marvel Universe’s newly minted Babysitter’s Club come to a compelling conclusion in Journey Into Mystery #5! Overall, this book has only had a casual relationship with the main events of War of the Realms and that’s just the way I like it. It doesn’t require the reader to keep up with all the tie-ins, or even the main event. Though it’s been thoroughly enjoyable, so I recommend it. Giving the McElroys their own little corner of this epic saga allowed them to spin a unique and fun tale.

In #5, the seemingly random encounters the team have had on their mission to protect Laussa come together nicely. Following on from the conclusion of #4, our heroes must rescue Laussa from the clutches of Ares, God of War and former Avenger. The McElroys keep the great character dynamics of the previous issues intact while delivering a fast and funny conclusion. Araújo brings their vision to life with deft style and a great sense of movement. They’ve thrown him everything from Skrulls to ghost cowboys in this book, and he has tackled them with aplomb.

I wish there had been a bit more focus on Ares’ character arc in earlier issues, but his motivations are well-handled this week. In a similar vein, there is a little too much exposition in the wrap-up. They mostly get away with it by adding some knowing winks, and the character arcs ultimately land perfectly.

Those are my only real criticisms, so onto what I loved. The previous issues were mostly light, with the odd serious moment. This issue changes tack a little, with one character bringing some unexpected pathos into the mix. Fortunately, the McElroys have excelled at bringing genuine emotion into larger-than-life situations on their podcast, The Adventure Zone. I needn’t have worried, they succeed again with this issue.

The final battle is thrilling and amusing. It also features a creative use of Miles’ powers that I won’t spoil. Final battles can easily be a confusing mess of characters, but Araújo’s art and O’Halloran’s colours keep the characters rich and distinct, and the page layouts are smooth and easy to follow. The climactic “movie poster moment” looks fantastic. As always, there is some great dialogue such as “That magic will cost you your life, you… you… actor!” and “Okay, so the truck was not hauling black-market cigarettes.” There are some nice continuity nods too. I didn’t expect such a direct reference to Secret Warriors, but it was a pleasant surprise.

The thing I appreciate most about this book is the combination of popular heroes, new heroes, and a few who haven’t been around for a while. The hodgepodge team of Kate Bishop, Miles Morales, Wonder Man, Balder, Sebastian Druid, Death Locket, and Thori has been a joy to read. I feel genuinely sad that this was just a limited run. I would definitely read an ongoing with this cast and creative team.

If you want more McElroy Marvel content, pick up Marvel Team-Up #4, written by Clint McElroy, on sale 7/31!