BIG GAME #5, by Image Comics on 11/15/23, brings the spectacular spectacle of a summer crossover to a fitting end with a battle for the fate of the Earth, Time, and Reality.
The Details
- Written by: Mark Millar
- Art by: Pepe Larraz
- Colors by: Giovanna Niro
- Letters by: Clem Robins
- Cover art by: Pepe Larraz (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $7.99
- Release date: November 15, 2023
Is BIG GAME #5 Good?
Holy Hell in a Hen House! Mark Millar not only ends the crossover event of the Summer with a bang. He ends it with a BIG bang and has a lot of fun doing it. Current and aspiring comic writers who want to know how to do a superhero story finale right, pick up BIG GAME #5.
When last we left Wesley Gibson and the super-villain cabal, their victory over the new crop of heroes was assured. However, Hit-Girl’s haphazard trip to the distant past brought a new threat to the present much bigger than Gibson is prepared to handle. Now, Hit-Girl puts more thought into her time-travel shenanigans and gathers/warns all the heroes about their imminent assassinations, creating a new mega-super-team to even the odds against Gibson and Diabolos. In the end, the battle becomes practically “magical.”
Yes, the previous sentence is a bit of a tease, but we’ll only spoil this double-sized issue enough to say that just about every character Mark Millar has ever conjured participates in this finale. Some characters die for good (maybe), other characters get an upgrade, and the public is once again aware that superheroes exist from the footage of the battle.
What’s great about BIG GAME #5? Everything. If there’s a flaw in all the glorious mayhem and chaos, you need a microscope to find it. Readers who pine for the days of big action, big heroics, and an amazingly satisfying ending will find all of it in BIG GAME #5.
What’s not so great about BIG GAME #5? Nothing. There’s not a single flaw of any note to be found in this comic. Even lesser/newer characters get a moment to shine in the best possible way.
How’s the art? Amazing. Pepe Larraz knocked this issue out of the park with spectacular imagery, explosive energy, and character acting that conveys wit, charm, and grit. As a bonus, Giovanna Niro’s colors are perfect.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s BIG GAME #5 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our BIG GAME #4 review to find out how King Morax decided to make his presence known.
We begin with Diabolos emerging from a Time portal with King Morax’s army to reclaim Earth after millions of years of absence. When Diabolos issues a request to be taken to Earth’s leader, Wesley Gibson responds. Wesley offers to negotiate terms to avoid needless death, but neither he nor Diabolos notices Hit-Girl sneaking up on the Chrononaut’s corpse to take a time jump into the near past.
Hit-Girl warns everyone she can find about Wesley Gibson’s mass culling, effectively undoing most of the deaths from the previous issues and instigating an impromptu team-up of all the latest superheroes. When the new super-team arrives to confront Diabolos and Gibson, all Hell breaks loose.
We conclude the issue with the one who started it all, a loophole, and a brighter future.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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BIG GAME #5 is a flawless finish for a practically perfect crossover mini-series. Everything about Mark Millar’s script screams action, excitement, and adventure, and Larraz’s art is inspired. BIG GAME truly is the superhero event of the year.
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