Written By: Adam Freeman and Marc Bernardin
Art By: Afua Richardson
Publisher: Image
This week the final two issues of Genius released on the same day. Which is lucky for us, as these last two issues finish the miniseries off in fantastic ways.
At the end of issue #3 we were lightly introduced to some members of Destiny’s force who seemed like they could potentially cause some trouble. I wasn’t expecting them to act immediately as issue #4 started. The fourth issue is a fast-paced tour de force of action, heartbreak, and fierce determination that a series likes this absolutely needed in its penultimate issue.
There’s some genuine tears to be shed this issue and I for one applaud Adam Freeman and Marc Bernardin’s choice to showcase Destiny’s softer side. This entire issue we’ve been shown how cold and calculating she is the name of justice for the streets that at times it seems like she’s gotten past the point of showing emotion because emotions often turn into weakness. To see her break down for a few pages was a breath of fresh air and a great reminder of what got her to that point in life. What’s equally as amazing is just how quickly she picks herself back up to continue the fight.
We’re treated to a rather great ploy by Destiny within this issue as well and it does a great job at addressing respectability politics. Without ruining anything, there’s a lot to be said by Destiny’s plot and it’s even more remarkable in the sense that it leads to an awakening by detective Gray. It’s a neat little web of connections that is tense and entertaining. And with so much information at hand, it makes you eager to finish out the series which luckily we’re able to do this week.
Genius #5 was a brutal finish to the series. There were many deaths and violence throughout but the way the finale is framed is one of the bleakest things I think I’ve ever read. We don’t get the sense that these are people awaiting their victory. We get the sense that these are people eager to die if it means they died for the cause. It’s a definite change in feeling from previous issues in which people partied and drank and generally celebrated victories as if they won both the battle and the war. In issue #5 they come across as people who know they already lost the war. Even if that isn’t necessarily true.
There’s a remarkable amount of emotion in this issue as well, particularly between Destiny and her best friend Chavonne. I legitimately didn’t think that Genius was going to end up hitting hard emotionally in this way but I think that that helps serve the point that the writers have been trying to communicate using Destiny and the movement as a figurehead. At what point do we actually stop thinking of people as people and are surprised that they can feel something? And why does that surprise us? It’s perfect as in past issues we’ve gotten speeches regarding the people in the communities feeling like they’re essentially born as caged animals and Destiny makes an excellent speech in here in which she states that the movement shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention.
I really don’t want to mention any of the major plot points as this issue needs to stay a secret in order to be as effective as it was for me. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, action, and ever changing dynamics that made it potentially the best issue in the entire series (and in all honesty, issues 4&5 are the best). I will say one thing though, the ending is something that I doubt many people ever saw coming and it leaves the door open for a potential continuation or spin-off.
Afua Richardson’s art still hasn’t made any major grounds and will still be a thing that polarizes people. I would’ve potentially liked to see more of an exaggerated graffiti look to certain pieces, especially as Destiny discusses sacrifice. Richardson does draw quite a few pages in issue #5 with a dark palette of mostly blues and blacks and I feel like that was a great artistic choice when it came to hammering home how bleak of an issue it was. Again though, if you didn’t like the art before you won’t like it now and if you did like it, you’ll still enjoy it.
Altogether these were a remarkable 2 issues to round out the series and I can only hope that Genius gets some form of a continuation because there’s still much to be discussed and much to figure out. Rather than feeling like it ended with confusion, I feel like it wrapped itself up nicely especially regarding the subject material. We’re ultimately supposed to side with Destiny and consider the police force as “evil” but the language helps point fingers not so much at individuals but at the system. It’s a rather serious series that raises excellent points and I’m glad that they ended the series with this somewhat darkly hopeful outlook. As Destiny herself said, it’s not a matter of how; it’s a matter of when. And I’m desperately asking “When” in regards to if this team will get back together and give us more Genius.
