Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Artyom Trakhanov
Publisher: Image
Political intrigue! Bloody action sequences! Great character work! This issue of Undertow has it all! It may seem like there’s a lot going on, and there is, but it doesn’t feel disjointed or jarring in the slightest. Instead, Undertow is a really good comic. This is in large part because of how Steve Orlando turns every part of the comic into a symbol. For example, there’s a scene in this issue that details the Atlanteans struggle against a mammoth, but this isn’t to be taken at face value. Every bit of dialogue, and every event in this comic, stands for something larger than itself. Much of this is fairly subtle, and that’s how quality comic book writing is done.
Of course, this does walk the line at times, since some readers may not necessarily understand some of the metaphorical writing. I must admit, this happened to me on occasion while reading this issue, and I was lost on some of the subtlety and allegorical writing employed by Orlando throughout this issue. That said, there is still some very good writing here. The problem with this issue is that, despite the awesome writing, there isn’t all that much plot progression in this story. There are a lot of cool elements to this issue, but a lot of it ends up feeling fairly unnecessary to the issue, and the series as a whole. So unfortunately, this isn’t quite as great an issue as the opening four issues of the series.
That’s not to say that this isn’t good, because it has all the makings of a good comic book. It isn’t a chore to read it, though some parts do feel a bit slow, especially the parts that take place on the main airships. The political intrigue is fairly interesting, it just becomes hard to keep everything straight, especially who all of the characters are. These scenes also have some of the weakest art, as it often lacks backgrounds. Much of it consists of characters drawn on a colored background. I get that it’s underwater, but it does seem to me like there should be something there.
Other than that, however, Artyom Trakhanov’s art is breathtakingly good. It isn’t your typical comic book art, but regardless, it looks great. The characters are, hands down, the best looking part of the book. Because they’re Atlanteans, Trakhanov is free to design them as he wishes, and so they look great. At his hands, the world of Undertow comes alive. The colors make it look exceptionally vibrant, and the loose inking gives it a sense of loopiness that benefits the style.
When all is said and done, Undertow #5 is a great comic. Yes, it is a slower issue, and there isn’t all that much plot progression involved in this issue. But really, everything else is spot on. The writing is some of the best in comics right now, and the art looks stellar for the majority of the issue. With the cliffhanger the issue leaves readers on, it’s hard not to be giddy with anticipation for the next installment in the series.
