NEMESIS FOREVER #5 – New Comic Review

Nemesis Forever #5, by Dark Horse Comics on 1/7/26, is a brutal finale that proves sometimes the biggest villain isn’t the guy with the supernatural pact, but the undercover agent willing to blow up a city to save the world.

Credits:

• Writer: Mark Millar
• Artist: Matteo Scalera
• Colorist: Giovanna Niro
• Letterer: Clem Robins
• Cover Artist: Matteo Scalera (cover A)
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Release Date: January 7, 2025
• Comic Rating: Mature (language, gore)
• Cover Price: $6.99
• Page Count: 40
• Format: Oversized Issue

Covers:

Analysis of NEMESIS FOREVER #5:

First Impressions:

The opening scene hits hard and immediate. Hans Berg walks into a high-end San Francisco restaurant, pulls a severed head from a bag, and delivers a casual threat that sets the entire tone. This is a comic that doesn’t waste a single panel on pleasantries; it opens with escalating darkness and never looks back. The energy is suffocating, making every conversation feel like it’s happening while standing on a ticking bomb.

Recap:

In Nemesis Forever #4, Kitty Tepper continued her deep undercover role within Nemesis’s organization while managing her secret pregnancy. Nemesis, disguised as billionaire Hans Berg, had been systematically targeting tech entrepreneurs who refused to sell their companies to him, using global terror attacks as a smokescreen. A supernatural twist emerged when Nemesis revealed a dark pact granting him the power of “Reversal of Origin,” promising resurrection if anyone killed him. The CIA prepared a massive ambush at two key locations, the Goldberg Building and Hashimoto Tower, calling in the superhero team The Ambassadors for backup. However, the issue ended with readers wondering if the agency was walking directly into Nemesis’s trap.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

Hans Berg confronts Deepak Bharti, a tech entrepreneur, in a San Francisco restaurant and reveals the entire game; he’s been murdering major shareholders of technology companies and hiding the bodies under major catastrophes. He explains his true goal: acquiring the nanochip technology from Bharti’s company to control humanity through neural implants. The conversation ends with Nemesis executing Bharti, then coordinating the bombing of the restaurant to cover up the murder. Meanwhile, his henchmen discover that the agent claiming to be Sofie Stein is actually a government operative named Kitty Tepper working undercover for the CIA. Nemesis learns of the sting operation being organized against him and prepares a countermove.

The operation begins at Nemesis’s main base. Kitty confronts one of Nemesis’s team members, Titus Lynch, to protect an innocent cleaning lady he was about to kill. Their fight escalates into a direct confrontation, with Kitty drawing a detonator. Nemesis reveals he has his own backup plan; wired explosives across half of San Francisco set to detonate during rush hour the next day. He also reveals a failsafe, a collar around Kitty’s neck that can be detonated remotely. The standoff becomes a game of mutually assured destruction.

The final act erupts into chaos. Kitty detonates her own explosive device, triggering the collapse of the building where they’re confronting each other. The Goldberg Building and Hashimoto Tower both come down as Nemesis’s plan unfolds, while Kitty battles her way out through the wreckage. The superhero team, The Ambassadors, are stuck at the South Pole due to a teleporter malfunction, leaving the CIA teams without backup. In the rubble, Kitty survives with barely a scratch, a miracle that defies explanation. The comic ends with Kitty taking a new position at the CIA, overseeing a significant budget, while she celebrates the birth of her baby boy, Matthew. A final panel reveals a supernatural entity addressing the newborn, granting the child a “Reversal of Origin” curse; anyone who wrongs him will suffer, and anyone who slays him will die by his hand.

Story

Millar’s script moves at a breakneck pace, jumping between multiple viewpoints without stumbling; we’re in a restaurant scene, then at the main base, then monitoring the CIA operation, then in the thick of the battle. The dialogue is sharp and cruel, with Nemesis delivering expositions that feel organic to his character’s arrogance rather than awkward info-dumps. Kitty’s moment of moral conviction, protecting the innocent cleaning lady and standing up to Lynch, shows strong character consistency. However, the sheer density of plot points creates some compression issues. The revelation that The Ambassadors are stuck at the South Pole feels like an afterthought inserted to remove backup, and the mechanics of why Kitty survives the building collapse are deliberately left vague, which works thematically but might frustrate readers seeking clarity.

Art

Scalera’s artwork is dynamic and clear throughout, even in the most chaotic moments. The restaurant opening is cold and detailed, making every moment of violence visceral. The action sequences in the collapsing building maintain spatial awareness despite the destruction, so you understand where characters are at all times. Color work by Niro supports mood beautifully, shifting from corporate sterility to gritty combat to a hopeful domestic epilogue. The visual transition from brutal warfare to Kitty’s quiet reflection on her survival shows incredible range. However, some readers might find certain moments slightly unclear; the exact mechanics of the simultaneous detonations could have used one more clarifying panel.

Characters

Kitty’s arc reaches a satisfying climax. She goes from an undercover operative managing impossible pressures to a woman willing to sacrifice everything, including her own life, to protect innocents and stop a monster. Her decision to protect the cleaning lady is the emotional core that distinguishes her as a hero rather than just another agent. Nemesis remains absolutely consistent as a pathological narcissist who believes his supernatural pact makes him untouchable. The reveal that he weaponized his own communication systems and had contingency plans layers his competence effectively. Titus Lynch remains a one-dimensional hate sink, which fits his purpose as a foil to Kitty’s moral clarity.

Originality & Concept Execution

The central concept of using global terror attacks to cover up individual murders for corporate acquisition is cynical and sharp, a modern take on super-villainy. However, by issue five, this concept has been fully explored and exploited. The supernatural twist with the baby receiving the curse is unexpected and opens the door to future storylines, but within this issue alone it feels like an epilogue rather than an organic part of the narrative. The “miraculous survival” ending is thematically purposeful but philosophically ambiguous in a way that might divide readers.

Positives

The building climax is exceptionally well-executed. Scalera’s art during the collapse of the Goldberg Building is genuinely stunning, with rubble and broken beams creating dynamic composition that makes the destruction feel real and consequential. Kitty’s character arc completes with emotional weight; her decision to betray Nemesis by protecting the cleaning lady and her willingness to accept her own death rather than let him complete his plan demonstrates a moral fiber that justifies her survival. The script balances multiple simultaneous action threads without losing coherence. The twist ending, revealing Nemesis’s unborn child has inherited the mystical curse, is genuinely memorable and opens an intriguing door for future stories.

Negatives

The resolution feels rushed in places. The CIA’s loss of communication and The Ambassadors getting stuck at the South Pole read as convenient plot devices rather than earned consequences. Nemesis’s plan of wiring half of San Francisco for explosions is introduced so late that it barely registers as a threat before it’s already being executed. The mystical elements introduced in issue four feel slightly out of place in what has primarily been a techno-thriller, and the ending’s reliance on divine intervention or chance creates an unsatisfying explanation for Kitty’s survival when a more grounded one would have been stronger. Additionally, the epilogue moves through Kitty’s promotion and pregnancy resolution so quickly that these significant life events feel glossed over.

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 4/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment):1.5/2

Final Thoughts:

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NEMESIS FOREVER #5 is a high-stakes finale that delivers on spectacle and character satisfaction, even if it occasionally sacrifices logical consistency for dramatic impact. Scalera’s artwork is exceptional throughout, making every explosion and face-off visceral and clear. The issue successfully concludes Kitty’s arc with meaningful choices and emotional weight. However, the ending’s reliance on unexplained survival and the epilogue’s rapid-fire resolution of major life events prevent this from being a complete triumph.

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