The end is nigh!
Creative Staff:
Story: Corinna Bechko
Art: Jonathan Lau
Colors: Vinicius Andrade
What They Say:
Miss Fury uncovers the sinister facts behind what the Minor Key is planning, but is it already too late to stop them? As time grows short, Marla delves deeper into her own shadowy past in Brazil, and the true nature of the power that she barely holds in check. Can it be used for good, or is she doomed to hasten the very thing she fears will come to pass?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Miss Fury hits its penultimate issue here, which is admittedly a bit of a surprise to me as the solicitations for previous issues didn’t include an “of 5” element to them. This series has been doing a lot that I’ve enjoyed with the first several issues as I really began to like the character after my recent exposure in the Swords of Sorrow storyline and elsewhere, so I was quite excited by a new series being produced for her. Corinna Bechko and Jonathan Lau have been killing it with it and this installment is no exception, which has me viewing the five issue run as definitely being one that folks should seek out in full collection form when all is said and done. There’s a lot to like with this character, time period, and overall approach to it and hopefully we’ll see more of her in the future.
With the book having upped the supernatural level a fair bit to say the least the last time around, there’s a good bit of fallout on both sides at the moment. With Marla having really taken in a lot here and coping with it pretty well, it’s Edith that has to deal with some shock, as she’s discovering her friend wearing a catsuit with a mask and being all kinds of odd and then discovering that all the crazy stuff her parents have done over the years is actually real. It’s a well played moment as Marla questions how much Edith knew about all of this and Edith just treated it as the kinds of things eccentric parents may do, though she does start to draw on what she learned as a kid to try and help amid all of this. These two are definitely great characters as friends and putting them in each other’s orbits like this is definitely something that works really well as Bechko writes both of them wonderfully. Having it amid the chaos of the supernatural? Lau makes it compelling while Andrade’s colors just elevates it hugely.
This installment has a good bit of action to it as Edith’s parents and their group are working to open a rift between worlds to bring an end to humanity here for the most part, painting themselves into a position of power. You can understand, on some level, how the events of World War II would compel some to view humanity as beyond saving at this point. Watching as both parents work things over to protect Edith while also dealing with the threat of Joao and then Marla is really well done as we get the taste of the supernatural, the right amount of explanation, and a good amount of mystery and fear mixed in because of what’s to come. It’s a proper setup for the final installment but it stands well on its own to really drive a strong narrative through both the dialogue and the artwork.
In Summary:
Everything – everything – clicked about this issue with me. I’ve enjoyed the series so far with its mystery and presentation of the characters, the setting, and the hints of what’s involved in all of this. But this issue just came together in a very strong way with its nods to Marla’s own past and origin that speaks of a bigger storyline to explore, to the friendship between her and Edith. While world ending storylines are far too common, this one just connects in a really strong way because of how it’s presented without a lot of overly fantastical elements and just enough mystery by not over-exposing it. Bechko and Lau are definitely firing on all cylinders with this installment and has me really excited for what’s next – and hoping they have more projects in the works together.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 27th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
