Hello Darkness, My Old Friend — Reviewing ‘Static: Shadows Of Dakota’ #5

Every hero has that moment. Where they must confront a loss or failure and determine how they will move forward. Virgil Hawkins/Static has found his moment.

One of the best things about this series, in both seasons, is how much it’s diving into the character and world. Sure, there is plenty of action and superhero stuff but it’s more about Virgil as a character (and those around him) and world issues. Nikolas Draper-Ivey and Vita Ayala have not shied away from the tougher and real subject matter expected from this line.

Bang Babies are an even better fit for mirroring & addressing real-world bigotry than the X-Men. Why is that you might be thinking? Well, the X-Men was originally created by a wealthy white man who recruited five pretty white teenagers. A lot of the mutants we saw were generally white, cisgender, and heterosexual for quite some time. In comparison, Bang Babies are heavily members of marginalized groups, chiefly Black people, who now have a second target on their backs.

This issue spends a lot of time with Virgil dealing with grief and guilt over Quincy’s death. In a way, the same is happening for the villain Ebon. Heroes and villains are often mirrors of one another and we very much get that here. Ebon is not a good person, but in his own way, he believes he’s doing what needs to be done. To find his brother and to end those that were behind the brutal death of Quincy and others.

Visually, Draper-Ivey hits it out of the park every single time, especially in setting the tone. Even at his lowest, Virgil’s world is full of light. Because he has his mother and father and others that will pick him up and pick up others. Whereas the scenes with Ebon are overwhelmingly dark, the very essence of light harms him. Yes, that darkness is because he’s shadow powered but it’s also because the character embodies darkness beyond his abilities. There might be slight relatability in his reasoning, but his quest and methods are dark and help no one in the end.

It’s a powerfully rendered world that always has depth and weight. Even when the view pans back and we can’t see faces, things blur a bit, it still hits as we can feel the energy. With the choices made every emotion radiates off the pages.

At the same time, we can hear all of it, and feel it in the voices of the characters, thanks to the work that Andworld Design does on lettering. From the way it’s set up to flow through the pages, to the little bits that help elevate words (bolds, font changes, bubble styles & colors, etc) it all works. All the pain, hope, heartache, stubbornness, and the rest are felt and heard. It makes sure that every single word that needs to be on the page isn’t just there, it makes its presence known.

Static: Shadows Of Dakota #5 is now available from DC Comics.