Like Grandfather, Like Granddaughter — Reviewing ‘Minor Arcana’ #5

Have you ever been stuck in an infinite life loop? One where it feels like you’re just repeating the same beats, again and again, with only a few potentially predetermined endings?

Sometimes it feels like that. Especially so for Budd St. Pierre, whose life ballad takes the spotlight in Minor Arcana #5. A heavy flashback chapter in the series comes from Jeff Lemire, Patricio Delpeche, and Steve Wands.

Life is a very complicated thing. It can become overbearing, especially when you feel that something is missing. That you’re stuck in place and not achieving some status, whether that status is something self-imposed or born through societal norms.

Through the first four issues, we were shown the hardships of Theresa St. Pierre. She’s forced back into the small-town life of Limberlost because of her mother’s health. Here, we see the story of her grandfather, who never had the chance to leave Limberlost. This is a man walking in place, as various dangerous omens begin to surface around him.

Lemire is such an engaging storyteller.

He’s able to really make us truly care about new characters in rapid time. Budd’s story is one that is relatable in a variety of ways. There’s a feeling of depression and entrapment as life doesn’t feel fully complete. Our heads shake as the man gives into those feelings and makes a massive mistake choice.

This piece colors so much of what we’ve already been shown in the prior issues. It gives depth to how Theresa and her mother Vickie find themselves where they are currently.

There is just something so visually pleasing about the Lemire’s art style. Baked in roughness, with an aged and faded appearance. It’s really giving emotional vibrant life to everything, with tons of depth and intricate detail in some spaces while it pulls back in others. At the same time, there is a lightness to everything.

This time he’s joined by Delpeche, who matches the water-color style that Lemire usually employs. They both allow the colors slide from airy in the beginning to very heavily dark by the end, matching the tone of the story as things become grimmer.

Shifting tones are also clearly visible in the lettering from Wands. He allows the words room to breathe and grow through it all. This really captures the mood and volume with both captions and dialogue, shifting in size or spacing give words far more power, and allowing the volume to be clear. The variety of SFX really hit hard in the moment, existing intrinsically with the rest of the artwork.

Minor Arcana #5 is now available from BOOM! Studios.