Dark Wing #5

Dark Wing #5

Heavy Metal 2021

Created & Written by Matthew Medney

Illustrated by German Ponce

Coloured by Protobunker Studios

Lettered by Saida Temofonte

The recent discovery made by the Council of Cobras puts them in direct collision with Benedict Gunn. A man who never shies away from confrontations, Benn directly confronts the Council. Ideas and arguments are wielded like sharp swords, counter arguments and visions are thrown like swift spears but whatever the outcome... The future of the proud Quail civilization and planet Tiberius will forever change.

What Matthew has done with this story is something that I’m not eve sure he expected to do and that’s create one hell of a spectacular science fiction epic drama. This issue we see one of the most intense encounters to date and it’s seriously something that makes you think about everything that we’ve experienced thus far. This Council is like every other single bureaucrat organisation we’ve ever seen and it is both disappointing and familiar at the same time. It must be something in human nature that those with power think they are inherently correct all the time even when they cannot see past the tip of their own nose. Oh have I mentioned the engagement factor that this book brings with it, if not then the above should be some indication of this.

I am digging the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold along with how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see is bloody phenomenal thanks to the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story as well as the twists & turns along the way all of which conspire to really pull us into this world.

I am enjoying how this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and emerge. It’s within these layers that the bulk of the characterisation takes place as well as opening up new places and avenues emerge that add depth and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceedingly well.

I love, love, love the interiors here. The linework that we see is exquisitely laid down and then to see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this insane amount of detail work is astonishing to see. That we see backgrounds as prolifically as we do throughout is glorious and how they work within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book is magnificent. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is bloody brilliant as well. That second two-page spread with the molten earth is a shudder kind of wow moment. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exemplary.

That this is primarily a story driven story and is being told at this level is absolutely bloody brilliant work. Gunn’s frustration at the Council is palpable and you could cut the tension with a butter knife and it makes what we see all the more interesting and powerful to see. Things are going to come to a head soon and it’s going to blow up in ways that we can only begin to imagine. I look forward to seeing what is on tap for this race and for Gunn when it things get to the point where he is going to have to save his people. I see that much at least coming. What a fantastic story this is and it’s still becoming.