Hellfire Against Hellfire In Marauders #5
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Iceman and Christian Frost go about repairing some of the damage to the Arctic before returning to the rest of the Hellfire Trading Company. Emma and Kate vote to send Shinobi Shaw, the Black Bishop, on a mission to Madripoor, much to Sebastian’s chagrin. Later, it’s reported that Shinobi’s ship is under attack in Madripoor, so the Marauders mobilize to lend aid. Once there, Bishop and Kate discover that someone’s put a hit out on any and all mutants in the city. The Marauders will not allow this to stand.
Marauders #5 follows the continuing operations of the team and the Hellfire Trading Company. The Krakoan drugs still need moving, and persecuted mutants still need ferrying.
By this point, it does feel like we’ve been given a full idea of how the Marauders and Hellfire will be operating in the new X-Men status quo. We know their mission, their leadership, and the players.
Now that this has all been established, the new challenge becomes keeping this interesting and fresh. Gerry Duggan seems up to the task, as this is still a grabbing issue. From the comedic opening of Iceman effortlessly repairing the Polar Ice Caps to the pitch drama in Madripoor, this is a gripping comic.
Matteo Lolli returns to provide the art of this issue and his visual style remains a very welcome element of Marauders. His aesthetic is expressive and energetic, giving power to the emotions and action scenes of the book. I also dig Kate Pryde’s Red Queen getup. Lucas Werneck covers the back half of the comic and his work is quite excellent as well. He gives an especially good treatment to the character of Bishop. Federico Blee is the color artist on the venture and his work remains vibrant and appealing.
Marauders #5 finds the structure of this title established and attempts to use it in moving forward. It’s an engaging and fun comic with a compelling cast and talented artists. Duggan has helped build something fun and exciting here and I’m glad to see that it still has plenty of gas in the tank. Needless to say, this one gets a recommendation. Feel free to give it a read.
Marauders #5 comes to us from writer Gerry Duggan, artists Matteo Lolli and Lucas Werneck, color artist Federico Blee, letterer VC’s Cory Petit, cover artist Russell Dauterman with Matthew Wilson, and variant cover artist Tony Daniel with Rain Beredo.
Final Score: 8.5/10