The Tin Can Society #5 is written by Peter Warren and Rick Remender and published by Image Comics. Artwork is by Francesco Mobili, colours by Chris Chuckry and letters by Jackie Marzan.
The Tin Can Society #5 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
The TCS gang goes up against Caliburn in a deadly showdown, ready to come face to face with the shocking monster behind the mask. But, as our brilliant Val knows all too well, sometimes it’s just when you think you know the answer that you find out you were asking the wrong question all along.
Review
So far, The Tin Can Society has perfectly balanced intense character drama with a central narrative thread that grows more complex and interwoven with each new instalment. As every issue passes we either learn something new about one of our central characters or a revelation within the core mystery that is slowly unearthed in some way.
However, this fifth issue keeps things mostly straightforward after the last one threw multiple reveals at us to great effect. Here we see the core team come together to confront, who they think is the culprit, in an all guns blazing fashion after they learnt about the story of Wally Gimmier from Adam. Now knowing more details about one of Johnny’s potential loose ends, the group very quickly come to conclusions and spring to action without a clear plan in mind, purely reacting from their gut instincts.
To those who have been following this series since the start, this brash behaviour may seem a bit out of the blue, but when you remember that this is the first solid lead they’ve had since Johnny’s death, it all starts making sense. Rather than a loose hunch or blaming one another for something they didn’t do, Warren and Remender use this opportunity to show the group working together for once and use this chance to reiterate the emotional reasonings for the group doing what they’re doing in the first place. It may not be the strongest lead, but it’s all they have to go off of and considering their situation is getting desperate by the day, they have to follow anything they can find.
Things become more hectic once Kasia, Val, Greg and Adam launch their offensive on the Gimmier residence. Potential hints towards Wally’s sister Nora having some connection with the ever conspicuous Hillary Cross continue to grow as the gang fight off the Caliburn suit one by one. The situation goes from bad to worse as their initial plan falls apart and someone is killed in the crossfire, causing them to hightail it out of their with the suit.
Mobili’s artwork once again captures the frenetic pacing and energy that this series, and this issue in particular, needs. Creating a brooding and dramatically tense atmosphere during dialogue driven moments and making the more bombastic panels really burst from the page with intensity. This is matched only by Chris Chuckry’s vibrant colouring work, that really pops during moments of short action.
As always, this issue ends with yet another eyebrow raising final page. The revelation presented here, though still surprising, actually presents something that should now allow readers to start piecing things together regarding the central mystery and how certain individuals are playing their part in all of this. With that being said, as we’re 5 issues deep into this 9 part series, one would hope we will start to see definitive answers from this point onwards rather than yet another turn in the narrative. Having these constant twists in the story works well when attempting to add complexity to the proceedings, but it’s not something a series should rely at every opportunity.
Verdict
Once again continuing it’s streak of brilliance, this fifth instalment keeps things simple and to the point. With each issue the central mystery becomes even more complex and thanks to the many twists and turns presented here, the intrigue remains at an all time high.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
