“One way or another, this ends tonight.” ~The Spider

The penultimate issue of MASKS is here. Does it deliver the climatic things we would expect? Plenty of great dialogue is abound, with the big ‘reveal’ on the final page.

Here’s the official description from Dynamite:

All hope seems lost. The Shadow, Green Hornet, and the other masked heroes are outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded by the Black Legion forces of the Justice Party, who are bent on expanding their chokehold on the surrounding countryside. Even the arrival of the new Zorro and Black Bat is not enough to turn the tide. But what of the Spider?

MASKS has been one of the most unique crossover events in awhile. It brought all these ‘pulp’ heroes, some familiar like the Green Hornet, some unfamiliar like Green Lama, together for a very fun, retro, and dynamic story. The antagonist took center stage last time, and  Zorro got some action. This issue brings things full forward. The full extent of the villain’s plan, plus we find out who he really is. If you’ve been reading up to this point, this is a definite must-buy.

Chris Roberson writes a very compelling antagonist. It’s not just New York he’s going to take over, it’s the whole country. I find the dialogue interesting, especially the part when he says, “Everything must be done legally, after all.” It’s an interesting spin on an ‘inner terrorist’ who wants to take over legally. And then he brings in the ‘logic argument’ of saying how the police and government have failed to bring order. Compelling stuff. The Spider also has a very engaging role, we learn that he liberated the Black Legion prisoners and got them to revolt against the Justice Party. It’s pretty exciting.

Dennis Calero’s art greatly highlights the 40’s setting and homages the retro pulp style. You can see it in the opining scene with the bridge, perfect for this event. There’s a very dynamic flare in the splash pages, and the Black Legion leader looks great. Despite just being a guy in a white suit and mask, he’s drawn with a very evil demeanor, amazing work. The main cover by the always dynamic Alex Ross features the leader standing with triumph over the heroes. Definitely the best of the bunch. The variants don’t quite pack the punch the main cover does, but they’re solid, especially the one with the strange monster on it. I’m still figuring out what that thing is.

Overall, MASKS’s penultimate issue is a solid one. It brings everything to the table, lots of fantastic dialogue. Sadly a few characters, such as Zorro and Black Bat, are underused, a problem I had a feeling would face the series. It’s nothing major of course, and doesn’t distract from the story. The conclusion is up next, I hope you’ll be there.

4/5

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.