Built Upon A Foundation Of Lies: Reviewing ‘Lawful’ #5

No matter how new a world might seem, the sins of the old world tend to remain strong as ever. This is the lesson that Sung Lim has learned, via a strongly painful way, in the game-changing Lawful #5.

With only a few chapters left, things are beginning to become a lot clearer (and darker) in this series from Grek Pak, Diego Galindo, Irma Kniivila, and Simon Bowland.

What an issue.

There is nothing easy or simple on display here, as Pak peels back various curtains. Corruption is everywhere and the bigoted, sinful behaviors of the old world have followed the humans to their new one. A surge of anger arose when Sung tries to reveal the dark secret of New Sanctum and is marked as a further liar. That anger was perfectly elicited by the story, revealing that the system has a rule in place that allows the lie of the powerful to be protected and remain hidden.

Pak really lays out the issues of this world, and the layers that come with what we’re told by those in power and what is reality. From the actual situation of the Exiles to the all-too-real situation of those from marginalized groups still being held down. There is so much to digest here that it needs to be read a few times to just let it all settle.

Even the ending opens up a whole ton of new questions about the reality of this spell and how those in power wield it so cruelly.

What Galindo and Kniivila do every issue really speak to the conflicting yet complementary moods that resonate from the pages.

Artistically, it really rides the line between whimsical and heavy quite easily. Giving tons of depth to the world on every page, with characters really taking up space and emoting in the most authentic and tangible ways. This is a world that is filled with the fantastical as well as the realistic and they merge so smoothly. Galindo has a really kinetic touch that lets the pages feel like there is genuine movement as things progress.

Color-wise there is a balance between the vibrant and the toned-down, creating a more natural kind of palette. Where the backgrounds and areas feel familiar but also quite different and out there at the same time. Lots of striking colors tend to serve almost like a filter at times, giving different pages and spaces a kind of unique hue. I also love the attention to lighting effects, giving the different spaces and times of day their own distinct feeling that the brain pegs as authentic right away.

Capturing energy and really letting it all flow is something Bowland always does so well. Letting every single word on the page really resonate and echo around. Placing dialogue around in the most logical and flowing way. Colorful additions, bold modifiers, and SFX that all spill through the page and heighten things. Allowing us to hear everything as acutely as possible, these voices we’ve never heard become a reality within our minds as we read.

Lawful #5 is now available from BOOM! Studios.