So all my finger crossing and hoping that inFamous was going to pick up must have paid off. The fifth installment in the series looks better than the last few issues and sets for the epic finale. Since there’s still quite a bit left unsaid by the end of this issue, I’m betting the sixth and final installment will have to wrap up all the loose ends and, I’m not going to lie, I’m hoping for some kind of final battle boss fight between Cole and David. But we’ll have to wait and see.
Harms managed to squeeze in a pretty good amount of story into this issue, even if it is a little fast-paced. The fact that everything’s moving along pretty quickly also gives that feeling of anticipating the end. You can just tell that something big is about to happen. This comic creates a little more reader empathy for David, the monstrosity created by Kessler who’s hellbent on killing Cole, and for the people of the city who are hiding out in the sewers without any food, water or medicine. Cole tries to help out the people in between his all encompassing bouts of whining, but he is really only one man. There’s only so much he can do. So it’s nice to see that the people are trying to pull together to help themselves some. Oh, and is it just me or is there some kind of rule that says every story must have a pair of nosy reporters? There’s always that one newscaster/weatherman and a cameraman that always get into trouble. It never fails.
Moya, who works for Kessler, is also back with some new technological tricks up her sleeve for Cole. Well, one was for the Cole, the other could’ve been for David or Cole, it’s hard to tell. I’m still trying to decide if the new threat will make David put aside his hatred for Cole and work with him or if there’s another unforeseen plot twist. I’m actually pretty excited for the last issue to see how everything unfolds.
One of the biggest holes I’ve seen so far is the character Sasha. I don’t really know where she came from — all that we’re given is her name and that she inherited a power from the blast that gives off a powerful hallucinogenic that can either be fatal or induce seizures. Oh, and apparently she’s in love with Cole? As for why, I have no clue. It’s like Harms realized Cole didn’t have any damsels falling over themselves to get at his rugged, handsome self, so they just threw in Sasha’s obsession over him. I’ve been waiting for a little more back story on her character since she was introduced in #2, but so far there’s been nothing. She disappeared for #3 and #4, then reappeared magically in #5 and I’m still not sure why. She seems to be that scapegoat character that only appears when they need her power and only bothers to put in a shallow explanation line. But then again, who knows, there might be more in the last issue. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Nguyen’s artwork remains one of the best parts of the series. He does a really good job zeroing in on the faces of the characters to bring out the emotional outbursts like sadness or shock. There was one scene that was done pretty simplistically, but turned out beautifully — Cole’s tied up, refusing to agree to what Moya wants him to do. A third of his face is in shadow, his eyes included, and the determined expression while he tells Moya to stuff it is just priceless. For a second, I actually liked the main character.
The other scene I really enjoyed was the last page of the comic, which I can only go into detail about some parts or else spoil an important plot point for the setup of the last issue. Anyway, the scene depicts David with a tentacle arm wrapped around Cole’s throat, pushing him to the ground, while the monster’s form crackles with that vibrant pink/purple power. It’s a very stunning scene. It also makes me wonder why Cole doesn’t just blast him, but he’s somewhat surprised at the attack, so I guess I’ll let it slide this time. David’s half turned from Cole, obviously because he doesn’t think of him as a threat, and instead watches the new intruders.
Overall, the fifth issue is an improvement that actually made me excited to read the final installment. In one issue, they managed to pull everything together and somewhat form it into a story that needs to be read. It’s a pity the whole series couldn’t have been that way, but most story arcs have their fluctuations. I’m just glad this one seems to have picked up. It sets up for a hopefully mind-blowing finale, but we’ll have to wait a little while and see.