Crime Syndicate #5
Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 6, 2021
Cover date: September 2021
“First in War, First in Pieces” – Part 2
Writer: Andy Schmidt
Penciller: Kieran McKeown
Inker: Dexter Vines
Cover: Howard Porter and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Variant Cover: Francis Manapul
Reviewed by: Craig Boehmer
The Legion of Justice sets a trap to catch Johnny Quick and Atomica after their murderous rampage. In the process they discover bodies in his family barn and Stewart kills Johnny Quick. They retreat to the satellite to regroup. The Crime Syndicate then attacks the satellite, leading to a major battle. The Legion of Justice is defeated until Luthor’s ace in the hole reveals themself… something I won’t spoil here.
Story – 4: I think I would prefer to read a Legion of Justice comic over a Crime Syndicate comic. The story is great, except for one major quibble. Owlman dispatching most of the Legion, easily, almost all off panel. Owlman, like Batman is the ultimate deus ex machina. It significantly hinders the strength of this story, and the story going forward. The Legion is now no longer a threat to the Crime Syndicate, which is too bad because this story arc could have been great.
Art – 5: The art on this issue was fantastic. Most of why I say this is because of all the fantastic character redesigns for the villains. McKeown nailed recreating these villainous characters as heroic, while maintaining hints of their more well-known designs. The Legion of Justice is awesome.
“The Quick and The Dead”
Writer: Andy Schmidt
Artist: Bryan Hitch
A quick story about Johnny Quick growing up in an abusive household. His dad raises fighting dogs and beats Johnny. So, Johnny tries to burn the whole farm down and is struck by lightning giving him powers. After he received his powers he kills his dad and brothers and runs away.
Story – 4: It’s a serviceable back-up that sheds a little more light on Johnny Quick. Honestly I don’t care for this character, he seems pretty one dimensional, even with a back story. And I question why they would include his back story in the issue in which he dies… unless he comes back soon. He does state throughout the issue that he heals quickly.
Art – 5: I love Hitch’s art. It’s detailed and yet bombastic. Great showing by Hitch.
Cover Art – 5: I loved this cover. It showcased Luthor front and center, and highlighted all of the cool redesigns for these villains as heroes. It kind of reminded me of Kenneth Rocafort, whose art I really love, except with slightly cleaner lines.
Variant Cover Art – 4: If you want a great image of a speedster, Manapul is your guy. This is a cool cover, but I found the muted colors to be disappointing. It doesn’t pop as much as it should.
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