The infiltration begins in MASKS #5. Does this issue continue the crossover with retro greatness?

Here’s the official description from Dynamite:

The Justice Party tightens its grip on the Empire State, and the vigilantes and heroes are preparing to go on the offensive.

The Shadow and the others have gathered enough evidence to prove that the public officials who have established the new fascist police state are merely the pawns of more sinister forces who lurk unseen. No one has heard from the Spider since he left for Albany to investigate the new governor, and he is feared dead, captured, or worse.

And while Green Hornet, Black Terror, Miss Fury, and others join the Shadow in preparing to attack the hidden masters of the Justice Party, two fugitives take to the streets as Zorro and the Black Bat.

This might just be the biggest issue of MASKS since #1. The heroes finally infiltrate the main villain’s fortress, plus Zorro makes his big debut. It’s really fun to see the characters together and communicating. From Kato’s wise sayings to the Shadow’s un-human way of talking, there’s a lot to enjoy.

Chris Roberson juggles all these characters well, which is quite impressive considering the large number which appear. The story is divided into two sections. Mainly it focuses on the pulp heroes’ plan to infiltrate the Empire State Building while the other part focuses on Zorro and Black Bat. After appearing on covers and being hinted at, it’s great to see Zorro in action, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a new series out of this. (If someone as obscure as Miss Fury can get one, Zorro isn’t too long of a shot.) Black Bat is a neat inclusion. Granted, he doesn’t have a truly important role other than to give the story another character, but that of course could change in coming issues. The antagonist isn’t bad, it’s good to see an actual villain behind the scenes. He’s not amazingly written and barely escapes being called generic, but still not bad.

Dennis Calero’s art is strong throughout. A minor complaint is that the faces sometimes look a little strange, but otherwise it’s solid. The action comes alive in a bright and dynamic way. Covers are once again fantastic. The main one by the always amazing Alex Ross showcases Zorro and Black Bat, pretty accurate since both get their major debuts. The best one however showcases the three ‘elites,’ the Hornet, the Shadow, and the Spider.

Overall, a great installment of MASKS. The plots moves with some very interesting development. Plus Zorro finally appears, which is a treat. These pulp heroes are quickly rising up to becoming all star comic characters, you should be reading this event.

4.5/5

My name is Daniel (@Destroyer_199), the main guy for comic reviews here at Unleash the Fanboy. I was born in 1995 in the Big Apple, spent my formative years in Staten Island, and currently reside in the awesome state that is New Jersey.