What’s a super-powered girl to do when she figures out that she doesn’t need to breath in space?  Should you care?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image Comics:

Everything’s on the table as far as the military’s position on Mara, but who’s the one with the nuclear option? How much power can one woman hold before the world says “enough”?

As we reach the penultimate issue for this mini-series, I find myself in awe as to what the creative team has accomplished so far.  It’s not like they’ve redefined the genre or anything like that but they have found a way to make a character who is, perhaps, more powerful than a titan like Superman accessible even as she prepares to unleash her fury against a misguided planet.

The script by Brian Wood is simply astounding as the author continues to guide both his audience and the chief protagonist on a journey of self discovery. And that right there is the magic that makes this outlandish epic feel so natural, as the scribe sees fit to slowly delve out information in a very human fashion.  The easiest way I can describe the flow of the book is to compare it to a child testing their boundaries as they slowly but surely discover what burns, stings or doesn’t hurt at all.  There was a rather big plot point that felt rushed through and even a bit glossed over, but trust me when you reach the finale and see the set-up for next month it’s hard to care.

Ming Doyle continues to handle the art and I am once again impressed by what I see.  The visual component of this jaunt is absolutely firing on all cylinders as the world and the characters therein are subject to a rigorous display of both detail and depth.  There are some awkward moments where sequences feel more still than kinetic but these instances do little to hinder an already exemplary experience.

Mara #5 is an engaging ride from start to finish and it will have you glued to your seat.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5