War of Kings #5

DnA remain a consistent asset to the Marvel U. The newest issue of War of Kings gives us the alternate Inhuman plan that has been hinted at for a few issues now. Black Bolt plans on sacrificing himself to detonate weaponized Terrigen Mists, forcibly evolving the universe, making everyone an "Inhuman" and therefore equal. It seems a little simplistic a plan, and one that I don't think would actually stop the Shi'ar, so I was disappointed to see that the Inhumans actually thought it would work. The rest of the issue deals with some great combat with Gladiator and the Starjammers taking out their frustrations on the Shi'ar Death Commandos. Gladiator is brutal here, ripping people apart and taking his rage out on anyone he can get his hands on. He's going to be in a neat place at the conclusion of this series. Could he join the Starjammers? That might be pretty neat to see. After seeing how Starbolt was portrayed in the War of Kings: Skaar special, I don't think the Imperial Guard is going to be a team of tweeners anymore, they are going to be full-on villains. The high point is of course the final page of the issue, where Vulcan finally confronts Black Bolt. It's about time these two powerhouses met up, and I bet the conclusion of this story will be a doozy.

Paul Pelletier's art shines with this cosmic stuff. From the echo-sentinels to Maximus' new uniform to Gladiator's combat, everything looks wonderful. I'm a big enough fan of Pelletier to say his art actually elevates most of the stories he works on.

Excellent