Advance Review: Oeming And Soma Are The Real Dons In ‘Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose’ #6
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
This limited series wraps up the way it began – with some great artwork and colors. But a fairly pedestrian plot prevents the visual artists from completely dazzling readers. While the series has been eye-popping at times, this conclusion forces the team to focus on wrapping up the story instead of delivering enough amazing pages.
Overall
8/10On the surface, the final issue of Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose is about a takeover of the five mafia families by the top lieutenants in each organization. Donna Rose, the first female don, spends most of the issue trying to convince her colleagues in the rival families to grab power for themselves after taking out their dons.
The reality though, is that artist Michael Avon Oeming and colorist Taki Soma already pulled off their own coup. The pair’s distinctive work has been the true draw throughout this limited series.
As he has brought to life several times in the run already, Oeming creates a virtual reality meeting of the heads of the five families. The dons can interact with each other as if they are in the same room. But instead of a nondescript room, Oeming depicts them as giants standing among New York City’s skyscrapers.
It’s a stunning and appropriate way to depict this old boys’ club – and the dons’ egos – as they lean against the buildings as mere set pieces. Soma colors the buildings with eye-popping iridescents while offsetting the crime family members in darker tones.
And yet, as beautiful and effective as those scenes are, in this final issue, they don’t seem to make much sense to the Brian Michael Bendis’ story. Jagger Rose’s meeting with the dons doesn’t move the plot. Instead, a more pedestrian sitdown with the second-in-commands is where the real action is. And while Oeming and Soma do yeoman work there, it’s not nearly as exciting as the series has been.
It’s as if Bendis was just looking for an excuse to have the visual artists go crazy. Sure, Bendis has given us a first female don and pope. There’s the usual insurrection in the US and the president isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is. And yes, we even see growth from the main characters. That’s all fine, but it still pales in comparison to the artwork.
Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose will not likely be remembered as a greatly written series, but years from now, people will still study the illustrations and colors. That makes Oeming and Soma the real dons in this mob story.
Murder Inc.: Jagger Rose #6 will be available for purchase on October 11, 2023.
