Titans: Beast World #5 is written by Tom Taylor and published by DC. Pencils are by Ivan Reis and Eduardo Panisca, inks by Danny Miki and Julio Ferreira, colours are by Brad Anderson. Letters are by Wes Abbott. Main cover art (left) is by Reis, Miki and Anderson.
Titans: Beast World #5 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Pick up your copy from Comixology right here.
Synopsis
Waller versus the world! After the shocking events of the last issue, the world stands divided: half with the Titans and half with the woman whose vicious methods have saved them for now. All this and more as Dr. Hate returns to revel in and spread their own unique brand of chaos!
Review
Oh. Sh*t.
It’s time for a seismic shift as DC’s Beast World event enters its end game. Following the shocking events of the previous issue the Titans are left reeling. Beast Boy is seemingly dead and the US government is ready to tell the world who is responsible. Taylor, never one to pull punches, goes right for the jugular in this latest issues which is as dark as it is tense. This might just be the Titans at their lowest, pushed to their limits and struggling to make their next move.
Issue #5 of Beast World is notably darker. The extended art team is certainly putting the book in to a period of mourning and dread. Opening in space in the direct aftermath of the previous chapter deftly sets a somber tone. The collected heroes floating around Garro’s lifeless corpse is sight to behold. The grief is palpable and it was only right to put the focus on Raven in this moment. She is key to this penultimate issue, ebbing in and out as it progresses.
The next three pages make up some of the most tense, anxiety-inducing storytelling in recent DC memory. We transition from space to a dark and shadowy version of the White House as the president addresses the nation. Taylor extends the already somber tone by opening the dialogue with those infamous words, “My fellow Americans…”. It strikes deeply in to the sense of paranoia, confusion and panic which goes with any national address like this. Pitch perfect writing as always.
The president proudly proclaims Garro dead. Projecting him to be the villain behind the monstrous events. Of course we know more than that. But in the moment it’s so easy to be swept up in Taylor’s immersive storytelling. The president goes on to introduce the Bureau of Sovereignty and its figurehead… Amanda Waller! The legend of ARGUS, Task Force X and plenty of other shady government groups has found herself a new role and now she’s a DC supervillain. What’s so disconcerting and yet elegant is how Taylor has been instrumental in nudging Waller towards this point. We’ve seen across Dawn of DC that Waller has some shady motives. But this brilliant story choice paints her the ultimate villain of the piece for now.
Waller’s next move is to tell the nation just how she’s going to deal with those still infected with Gar’s spores. It’s another hugely shocking move. One that even the president doesn’t see coming. But it ultimately speak to the singlemindedness which has always driven the character. She’s never been one to listen to a committee or make decisions informed by others viewpoints. Without needing to explicitly state the facts Taylor makes it clear Waller see’s only one way out of this. That decision is one which doesn’t sit well with Dick or the rest of the Titans. Thrusting the narrative of issue #5 at breakneck speed to its conclusion.
Of course the issue isn’t entirely devoid of action. The Titans have a plan to interrupt Waller. But Dick is sticking to his guns. Something which I really appreciate, particularly with Taylor taking the lead on this event. Typically events of this scale force some compromises in character in order to further the narrative. But given Taylor has masterminded Nightwing for some time alongside bringing back the Titans title. I had a feeling he would stick to his guns. Dick doesn’t want to solve the crisis with violence and so sets out, alongside Wally and Raven, to intervene. All of this happens under the ticking time bomb which is Waller’s ultimate plan to excise the Earth of these metahuman beasts.
The rest of Titans: Beast World #5 goes as you might expect. With Raven on board the team there’s a genuine chance she may set free her inner demon, wiping Waller off the map. Meanwhile Waller and her new head of security, Peacemaker, are of course ready – if not a little surprised – for Nightwing to put in an appearance. There’s some great dialogue as Nightwing tries, in vain, to convince Waller that violence isn’t the answer. But his optimism in being able to persuade her to change her course of action is misplaced. It’s kickstarts a rollercoaster which sees the issue through its conclusion. A conclusion which sets up one hell of a confrontation for the next and final chapter.
Verdict
Simply put, brilliant.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
