GEIGER #5, by Image Comics on 8/14/24, gives the Glowing Man the shock of his life when he confronts the deadly Electrician who has the brains and the weapons to capture the country’s most valuable bounty.
Credits:
- Writer: Geoff Johns
- Artist: Gary Frank
- Colorist: Brad Anderson
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Gary Frank, Brad Anderson (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: August 14, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of GEIGER #5:
First Impressions:
There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world to get your blood pumping early in the morning. Geoff Johns’s latest challenge for Tariq Geiger pits him against a deadly bounty hunter called The Electrician, and their clash is a fight for the ages, even if the plot moves at a snail’s pace.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left the Glowing Man and Nate the Nuclear Knight in Geiger #4, Tariq Geiger and Nate the Nuclear Knight cut a bloody trail through a horde of hungry Organ People. When they reached The Electrician’s lair, Nate was electrocuted, and Geiger was coated in boron dust, preventing him from powering up. Then, The Electrician shot Geiger point blank with a shotgun.
In Geiger #5, The Electrician appears to have the upper hand on all fronts. Geiger is seriously wounded, Nate is partially paralyzed from the stun, and Barney is locked up tight in a cage. What’s The Electrician’s deal? He intends to stuff him in a crate lined with boron-laced stuffing and turn him in for a massive bounty to President Griffin.
Geoff Johns starts the issue on a high note by quickly showing how Geiger is in a very tough spot without any obvious allies ready to barge in to save the day. In writing terms, Geiger is truly at a low point without options.
While The Electrician busies himself packing up Geiger, Nate recovers enough to stand and raise his sword. Nate gets a swing in, nicking The Electrician’s arm, but Nate is quickly put back down with a taser shot.
Geiger forces himself out of the crate and lunges at The Electrician. While the two grapple, Geiger yells for Nate to free Barney, thinking three against one could top the odds. Geiger flees up a flight of metal stairs, hoping to set off the water sprinklers and fry The Electrician, but the latter has a waterproof suit, and their grappling continues.
Despite the thinness of the plot, everything contained in this issue works because the tension is high, and everyone’s actions are believable. Someone as smart as The Electrician should have thought of everything, and from all outward appearances here, he has.
Suddenly, The Electrician is slammed by Barney. The two-headed dog bites through the wiring on The Electrician’s suit, causing a short and small explosion, but the fight is far from over.
The issue concludes with a visit to the White House, a robot concerned with another robot, and hamburger.
Overall, this is another fine issue in the series, with a nail-biting battle for survival. On the plus side, the action is taut and gripping. On the downside, this issue is effectively one fight with an epilogue, so Geiger’s main quest to find another being like him with a supposed cure hasn’t moved in several issues.
Artwork and Presentation:
In large part, the reason this issue works with a paper-thin plot is Gary Frank’s near-miraculous, grounded, gritty, cinematic art. The details are astounding, and Frank’s eye for semi-realistic characters and actions is a feast for the eyes. Further, Brad Anderson’s immaculate coloring work deserves the highest of high marks.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Of all the Ghost Machine titles, Geiger is listed as part of the interconnected timeline. Here, we get another tease that Geiger has or will cross paths with Junkyard Joe through a conversation in the epilogue. We still don’t know exactly what transpired in their previous meeting, but whatever the details, it seems Junkyard Joe got the worst of it… maybe.
Final Thoughts:
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GEIGER #5 is another gripping comic in the Ghost Machine lineup with an issue-long fight that will have you on the edge of your seat. Geoff Johns masterfully creates a scenario and characters that are utterly believable, and the art team’s execution is arguably the best in the business. That said, a gripping fight can’t cover for the fact that the plot pace is incredibly slow.
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