BECSTAR #5 – Review

Becstar #5, available from Mad Cave Studios on September 29th, 2021, kicks off the final confrontation between Becstar, Mordecai, and Anyssa for control of the Creation Gauntlet.

The Details

• Written By: Joe Corallo
• Art By: Lorenzo Colangeli
• Colors By: Lorenzo Colangeli
• Letters By: Joamette Gil
• Cover Art By: Sweeney Boo
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: September 29, 2021

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Was It Good?

Well, it’s not great and ‘good’ is a stretch.

On this site, we’re sticklers for plot holes and clunky explanations. Unfortunately, this last issue in the arc (possibly the series) is rife with both. That said, it’s not clear if the breakdown is in the writing or the execution of the art. Regardless, there’s a breakdown and the resulting finale is convoluted and messy.

One of the plot holes identified in the previous issues centers around the basic premise. If Mordecai can’t find Anyssa and the magic glove without following Becstar, why does Becstar continue to search for Anyssa. That point is explicitly stated in this issue by Mordecai as a bizarre taunt (“I couldn’t have found her without you”). By calling it out in the story, it somehow makes that flaw worse.

Without spoiling it here (jump to the next section for details), Mordecai’s quest for the glove ends in a way he didn’t expect. The resolution of who gets the glove, what happens after it’s got, and Becstar’s final fate is a jumbled collection of panels that barely hold together. Even Paprika’s final fate only makes sense if you accept Anyssa’s “plan” but doesn’t at all explain why there are two Paprikas.

However, I do like the evolution of Anyssa as a creative idea. Years of exposure to a magic glove that can create anything must take a toll on its caretaker, and Anyssa’s final form is an interesting surprise.

Colangeli’s art is fine for what it is. We’ve been hard on the art style because it tends too far toward 90s Nickelodeon cartoons with exaggerated facial expressions in a dramatic comic, but at least it’s consistent art. To give the writing a break, some of the clunkiness may be due to a misinterpretation of the script through the art.

For example, there’s a scene where Becstar and the crew are surrounded by guards. The next panel cuts to a look at Mordecai. In the very next panel, all the guards are down and out. What happened? Did they get shot? All the guards are simply and suddenly lying on the ground. No sound effects, no action. Surrounded one second and all guards down in the next. Very strange and very clunky.

I wanted to like this comic, and it’s a reviewer’s duty to give every story the benefit of the doubt. Despite making every effort to find the bright side, this entire arc is simply too flawed to get behind in both story and art.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Before the Creation Gauntlet’s allure tempts you beyond reason, read our BECSTAR #4 review to get caught up.

We begin with a brief flashback to the day Becstar and Sally met in a bar. Possibly by Fate or possibly by the power of her Luck Dagger, Sally offers Becstar a job.

Cut to now. Becstar, Sally, and the two Paprikas are surrounded by Mordecai and his soldiers. Despite having the upper hand, Mordecai decides to allow them to see him claim the Creation Gauntlet for himself. When they enter the chamber where the Gauntlet rests, Becstar realizes Anyssa’s absence means something is wrong.

Mordecai moves to take the Gauntlet, but before he can grab it, Anyssa manifests out of vapor from the Gauntlet and kills Mordecai. Anyssa is no longer herself but some sort of evolved consciousness that merged with the Gauntlet years ago.

Anyssa puts on the Gauntlet and blasts the Paprikas until they melt away to nothing. Anyssa’s comments imply the Paprikas weren’t real but manifestations of the glove that Anyssa created to lure Mordecai to her location. Evolved Anyssa traps Sally in an energy cage and exclaims she’ll use Sally for amusement.

We conclude the issue with the dagger and Mordecai’s amulet doing weird things that I don’t get, Mordecai getting the last laugh (sorta), and Becstar escaping while the artifacts continue to do weird things.

Final Thoughts

BECSTAR #5 caps an original arc that showed a lot of initial promise, but persistent plot holes and a confusing ending put a damper on any potential. The rough ending combined with the mismatched art makes this a ‘not recommended’ issue and series.

Score: 5/10