Is It Good? Descender #5 Review

The latest issue of Jeff Lemire’s Descender has arrived, wherein “Quon reveals a shocking secret that will change the course of Tim-21’s life!”

Is it good?

Descender #5 (Image Comics)

In this issue, our heroes have been taken to the hostile planet of Gnish at the demands of the planet’s ruler, King S’nork the III. He wants the information out of Dr. Quon about the secrets of the Harvesters and he is prepared to do anything to get that info. This ultimately leads to one of the biggest bombshells the series has dropped so far and honestly, it’s a great one. You don’t see it coming and it actually, in hindsight may answer some things. This issue in general was great when it came to the story. All of the characters are in big trouble, a new mysterious force has entered the scene, and the surprise made for a really thrilling and intriguing issue (none of which I’ll spoil). Honestly, I’ve never been more excited to see what happens next time in an Image Comic in a long while.

The writing is still going very strong in this issue. Although not quite as strong as it was last issue in terms of characterization or growth, there are definitely intriguing moments here, especially when it came to a certain someone. The pacing and storytelling are both good, with the story moving at a slow, but steady pace that allows for the audience to really take in everything going on. Outside of the council scene, there’s never too many new concepts or jargon being tossed at you. The dialogue is fairly engaging and easy to get into. The only thing that feels off to me is the dialogue when it comes to Driller’s speech pattern. It feel more refined in this issue than in the previous ones for some reason. That’s pretty much really the only problem in this comic.

Dustin Nguyen continues doing a stellar job when it comes to handling the artwork. He still draws some fantastic looking space and sci-fi imagery from the space shuttles to the various alien races (some look familiar, but have their own minor, unique details). The panels make the story flow well from page to page, making for a breezy and engaging read all the way through. The minor bits of action look stellar and intense, while the coloring continues bringing out the right mood and atmosphere throughout the comic. Honestly, there’s just no complaints to be had here. It’s purely and utterly fantastic looking from start to finish.

Is It Good?

Descender #5 continues to impress with its beautiful, splendid artwork to this surprising and engaging story & cast of characters. With the all of the twists in it, there’s no way you are going to want to miss out the next issue. This is looking to be one hell of conclusion for its first arc.