The Displaced #5 is written by Ed Brisson and published by BOOM! Studios. Illustration is by Luca Casalanguida, colours by Dee Cunniffe and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Main cover art (left) is by Casalanguida and Cunniffe.
The Displaced #5 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Desperation leads to death as those that remain turn to more and more reckless activities to survive, and their numbers dwindle to almost none…
Will the final forgotten find some way to escape their fate, or will the inevitable sickness and disappearance overtake them?
Review
Today the final issue of Ed Brisson’s The Displaced hits comic book stores and fans desperate for answers… well they’ll be left wanting more. But for those who have been entranced by the series exploration of how each of the Oshawa survivors reacted to their situation, issue #5 offers up one final chance to see what becomes of the group.
We pick up with Travis after the incident in last month’s issue. He’s pissed and on the hunt for Paige who has returned to the main group for safety. Separated from the rest of his group Travis is in danger of being forgotten and disappearing from existence. His violent reaction eventually leads him back to Bowmanville where the remainder of the group is hiding out and facing issues of their own. Gabby it seems is now lost to whatever fate awaits the survivors and Emmett needs to face up to that.
Any chance of Emmett being able to reflect on the loss of Gabby is short-lived however. The arrival of Travis ups the ante and adds a dash of action to this final issue. It’s one of the series’ most visceral moments but does also reinforce that Travis as the de-facto villain of The Displaced was never really afforded the chance to show just how bad he was. Whilst his behaviour has been deplorable it feels like there hasn’t been enough setup for this kind of hero versus villain showdown. Regardless of any developmental issues, the tussle between the two does illustration part of what Brisson is trying to say with The Displaced. It neatly illustrates the conflict which goes hand-in-hand with survival in this desperate situation.
With Travis dealt with, The Displaced switches tactics and quickly wraps up by pairing Emmett and Paige for an understated but beautifully written finale on the beach. These are two characters who haven’t spent a huge amount of time together across the series. So it’s interesting to see them as our end point. It makes sense for Emmett to be there given his place in the world moving forwards. A point which Brisson bookends the series with in a perfect callback to issue #1. But part of me can’t help but wonder why it wasn’t Gabby who was sat next to Emmett as the final survivor. It felt like that was what the series was building to. At times it even felt like a potentially romantic pairing. Perhaps what I was missing was that Brisson wanted The Displaced to replicate the spontaneity of life. In that respect perhaps this is the perfect ending.
What I can’t help but shake off is the feeling that when all was said and done, nothing that the group did mattered. Whilst they fought hard for their own survival and their own memory, ultimately the world completely forgot who they were. That feels like the ultimate message of The Displaced. The existential question of does anything we do really matter? Or are we simply here to exist and experience life as it is dealt to us? In that regard The Displaced perfectly posed those questions and undoubtedly leaves the reader with plenty to think about.
Verdict
The success of The Displaced will ultimately be measured by each readers response to its conclusion. Some will ponder the supernatural elements which remain unexplored. Others will enjoy meditating on its existential commentary.
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