Comic Book Review: Dynamo 5 #5

Dynamo 5 #5

Created by: Jay Faerber and Mahmud A. Asrar
Story by: Jay Faerber
Art by: Mahmud A. Asrar
Colors by: Ron Riley
Letters by: Charles Pritchett
Published by: Image Comics

Story: “The Chrysalis Affair Part 1”

I first encountered Jay Faerber’s work in Noble Causes, a comic book soap opera about a normal woman marrying into a world famous, super powered family. Faerber continues his focus on superhero families in Dynamo 5, a series about 5 illegitimate children of the world’s greatest superhero who band together following his death under the leadership of said hero’s wife. Think that’s confusing? Be thankful I wasn’t trying to review Noble Causes.

While issue #5 is Part 1 of the “Chrysalis Affair”, the groundwork for this arc has already been laid out. Captain Dynamo has seemingly returned from the dead. This is a distraction to the focused, strong willed Maddie Warner, widow of Captain Dynamo. The Dynamo 5 team has started to pull together, but can even their new found teamwork win out without Maddie behind the scenes guiding them?

They seem to pull it off against Voltage, but without Maddie, Dynamo 5 soon finds itself stumbling into a trap set up by the government to combat their vigilantism.

So is Captain Dynamo really back from the dead? Well, it turns out that the good Captain’s infidelity went even further than Maddie realized when she learns that a girl called Synergy was impersonating Captain Dynamo. Synergy is the daughter of Captain Dynamo’s longtime enemy, Chrysalis and…Captain Dynamo. Need a Tylenol now?

Faerber’s strength as a writer is in his ability to create realistic characters existing in these outlandish familial circumstances. One day Faerber’s going to write Fantastic Four, mark my words. As he responded to a letter in the back of this issue, his focus is on the superhero action, but naturally characterization is developed skillfully in the low action panels. While, at this point, the members of Dynamo 5 have been characterized superficially, it’s obvious that there is more there that Faerber will dig into when he feels the time is right. For example, his development of the character Maddie Warner. Maddie was first seen as nothing short of a tough-as-nails, focused, determines, strong-willed woman trying get these 5 children to fill the gap left by the death of the world’s greatest superhero. However, right from the start of the “Chrysalis Affair” we see that Maddie’s not as sure as she appears and Dynamo 5 may be acting in another capacity for Maddie…as a distraction from the hurt she feels from Dynamo’s betrayal and death. After all, she tells the team she will never abandon them, but the second Captain Dynamo supposedly returns to her, she runs off with him leaving Dynamo 5 to be set up and captured.

Faerber’s story is complimented by Asrar’s art. Asrar gives us dynamic panels with exciting angles. His lines are fluid but strong, showing us energetic fight scenes, and emotional personal scenes. Riley assists Asrar with his lively, bright colors.

While not leaving behind the action and adventure, Dynamo 5 is about the emotional journey of 6 people, hurt and betrayed by one great superhero. It’s a book with a gripping story and interesting characters and the interpersonal twists for which Faerber is famous.

Rating: I'm just waiting for a little more development of the Dynamo 5 team.