EVIL ERNIE (VOL. 4) #5- Review

EVIL ERNIE (VOL. 4) #5, from Dynamite Comics on April 13th, 2022, brings the latest volume to a close with a final confrontation against Ronique. Will history repeat itself and send Ernie back to the Underworld until she resurrects him again?

The Details

• Written By: Scott Lobdell
• Art By: Ariel Medel
• Colors By: Candice Han
• Letters By: Dave Sharpe
• Cover Art By: Arthur Suydam (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: April 13, 2022

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

Well, it ended as well as could be expected under the circumstances. In the last issue, we were thrown for a loop by Evil Ernie and Ronique getting into a confrontation at the top of a dam when a fleet of SUV’s showed up to blow the whole shebang to destroy the town. The only hint as to why this was happening was a brief, few panels in issue #3 showing an argument between the police detective and an evil businessman over some kind of land grab scheme… sorta, kinda, maybe. Suddenly in issue #4, it’s an all-out war between paramilitary mercenaries, businessmen-turned-demons, and a centuries-old feud between Ronique and Ernie with Candice caught in the crossfire. The first three issues were great, and then the entire arc devolved into chaos in issue #4.

How did the narrative of the arc start so right and devolve so rapidly? The world may never know. So, here we are with the last issue, and the arc ends predictably with a happy ending and a new status quo for the old Double-E. In fairness, the ending works well enough. True love saves the day (with a little zombie henchmen help from Smiley), Ronique gets what’s coming to her, and Ernest rides off into the sunset with a bright future ahead.

In other words, the issue is wrapped up in a neat little package with just enough crumbs to keep the door open for future stories. In fairness, if it wasn’t for the completely rushed and out-of-nowhere chaos in issue #4, this would be a solid arc, so that makes this a fairly strong ending.

Writing oddities aside, we have no complaints about the art from Medel, Han, and Sharped. Medel’s pencils/inks are excellent. Han’s coloring pops and adds plenty of energy to the action. And, Sharpe’s lettering choices for Ernie’s dialog and the explosive sound effects 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 It About?

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

To catch up with the insanity, first read our EVIL ERNIE (VOL. 4) #4 review.

We begin with Evil Ernie and Ronique laughing as Candice falls to her death, dropped from the edge of the dam. Suddenly, Ernest reasserts control, knocks Ronique away, and dives after Candice. With a little help from Smiley’s control over the zombie biker gang, Ernest grabs Candice and is hauled up to face Ronique once again.

Now working with Evil Ernie, Ernest and Ronique lock horns in a deadly grappling match that ends with an explosive kiss. Ernie shows mercy by letting Ronique drive away, despite warnings from Smiley, however, the warnings are unnecessary as Ernie has an explosive surprise waiting in the backseat of Ronique’s car.

We conclude the issue with fireworks, a time jump, and Super Evil Ernie going to work.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.