DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #5, from Dynamite Comics on July 6th, 2022, brings the epic chess game of life and death to a bloody conclusion when Issus, the Martian Goddess of Death, matches wits with Evil Red Sonja for the fate of two worlds.
The Details
- Written by: Fred Van Lente
- Art by: Vincenzo Carratù, Jordi Perez
- Colors by: Kike J. Diaz
- Letters by: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover art by: Tony Fleecs (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: July 6, 2022
Was It Good?
DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #5 puts the current conflict to rest with a chess game between Issus and her zombie thralls against Red Sonja and her hero allies. The power to control the dead on both Earth and Mars is at stake, and only one goddess will be left standing. Is this the game to end all games? No, not really, but it’s a solid mid-season matchup.
The high point of this issue is the sheer frenetic spectacle of it all. Van Lentepushes every pulse-pounding button to make sure the chess match between Issus and Evil Red Sonja stays as engaging as possible. When the pieces move, the contestants engage in a life-or-death struggle for every square. This isn’t a simple chess game predicated on wits but a deadly and controlled struggle where every winning move could make the difference for the victor.
The weak point of this issue is a flaw in the arc’s basic premise. Van Lente brings in every hero from the Dynamite Universe, both dead and undead, and it gets to be too much when every character is given page space to shine. Some characters are favored more than others, but the proceedings frequently become a blur between keeping track of who’s doing what. This description is a long-winded way of saying the finale gets too busy and confusing. The ending is solid, but the journey getting there feels like rushed chaos.
The art is great in this issue, barring one or two weaknesses that play into the “rushed chaos” mentioned above. Diaz’s color palette selection is very muted, so there isn’t much pop or distinctiveness to set similarly drawn characters apart. Depending on the panel, Tarzan looks like John Carter looks like Carthoris, which creates confusion when switching between multiple battles. We start by pointing to the flat, muted color palette, but part of that sameness also rests on the character designs by Carratù and Perez. All things considered, the art style is excellent, but when you have so many characters engaged all at once, distinctiveness between characters is essential, and it’s lacking here.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Before the game begins, first catch up to find out how we got into this mess with our DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #4 review.
We begin with Issus, the Martian Goddess of Death, against Evil Red Sonja, Earth’s (current) Goddess of Death, in a living chess match to determine who will be the goddess to rule both worlds. This game, however, is different in that the players are the allies or thralls of each player, and each square is taken by force through bloody combat. Let the game begin!
One deadly move proceeds another as Captain Future uses his Neuro-Ray machine to move the pieces per Issus’s commands. Before long, one move pits Vampirella against Pantha, sister against sister, to hold the latest square. As the game progresses, with Issus taking the supposed victory, the tables turn very quickly.
We conclude the issue with a flaw in the Neuro-Ray’s capabilities, much dismemberment, and a trip back to the future.
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Final Thoughts
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DIE!NAMITE NEVER DIES! #5 is an above-average finale for a wild and crazy story. The conclusion wraps up the current conflict while leaving room for more. The art is generally good, and the energy could light up a small city. However, the frenetic developments sometimes devolve into chaos in both the writing and the art.
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