A-Force #5
Marvel Comics
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Ben Caldwell
Colorist: Ian Herring
Letters: VC’s Cory Petit
Review by Insha Fitzpatrick
Cover by: Ben Caldwell
A-Force comes back in a powerful arc that really packs a punch. Literally. The last time we saw the girls, they defeated Antimatter and continued their adventures as a new team. In A-Force #5, the girls are back, traveling into a new arc after realizing the effects of what saving Singularity could do to the universe. They have to treat down the tears in reality that had creatures like Antimatter come into their world. All the girls gain new makeovers and meet an unexpected counterparts of one of them. A-Force #5 is not only a stunning roll into a new arc, but it’s just way too fun to be ignored.
A-Force feels like home in the beginning of this new arc. What I mean by this is, you can plant yourself down because you’re gonna wanna make a home with this series even more. The previous story really gained momentum into the girls finally becoming a team and now… they are. It hasn’t managed to skip a beat and that’s thanks to the wonderful woman writing it. Kelly Thompson writes in the previous arc, but is on her own in this first one. She’s incredible at not only writing female superheroes in a realistic way, but making them funny with the best banter to boot. She serves up the comradery that her and G. Willow Wilson have gained within the first arc and Marguerite Bennett and Wilson started with the series as a whole. There’s nothing like seeing female friendship and a female team together and A-Force gives you just that.
With this arc as well, the introduction to Ben Caldwell as the artist and Ian Herring as the colorist is absolutely stunning. I could gush about how much I love the art, but I’ll keep it short and sweet. These guys work together to create new character designs and beautiful landscapes that will have you swooning. There’s no better way to describe Caldwell’s drawings as short as detailed and magnificent. He does an amazing job in capturing the new looks and feel with these new characters, especially the new styles of Dazzler and Nico Minoru. Ian’s colors really make this arc pop as well. They not only make the pages come to life, but they make you want to pay attention as your eyes are flying from one panel to the next.
A-Force isn’t like anything else. It’s a story all it’s own with some brilliant creators behind it. Through the ups and down, fights and banters, these girls continue as a team and it’s just going to get stronger from here.
Verdict:
BUY IT. If you haven’t been keeping up with the tale, it’s about time you start. A-Force is a breath of fresh air into in Marvel Comics. It’s fun, edgy, engaging and absolutely funny. There’s no other way to describe A-Force as nothing less than a brilliant piece of storytelling with an all female cast.
