C.O.W.L. #5 Review

How will the first arc of C.O.W.L. conclude? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The end of the first arc and a huge turning point for the series! John Pierce and Geoffrey Warner square off over C.O.W.L.’s big secret, Radia faces public outcry, and Arclight resorts to lethal force…against one of his own.

Never before has an aftermath style issue enticed me more, with C.O.W.L. #5 showing the impact of last issues climax, whilst also setting future events up in an utterly thrilling way. With the C.O.W.L. being all but disbanded, and John Pierce heading in a new direction with his investigation, the series takes a very drastic twist of fate, with Geoffrey Warner’s choices having me hooked for the next arc.

Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel have taken us one a gripping ride, mixing crime and superhero genres in a way that has never been done before. This however is nothing compared to the deep, and shocking events that they delve into throughout this issue, with the daring choices causing intense drama at every corner. The duo also manage to give a fitting ending to this first arc as a whole, as despite the issue acting as a bridge between prior and future events, the tone gives a bitter sweet climax to the arc as a whole.

Rod Reis‘ art compliments this dramatically focused issue perfectly, with his rough pencils and sharp inks giving a visually stunning tone to the issue. The layout of Reis’ art also help to shape the atmosphere throughout the issue, with character expressions also adding emotion when needed. It is however as ever the beautifully thought out colours that mesmerises me most, with the diverse colour palette working brilliantly in both the more explosive sequences, as well as the more focused ones.

C.O.W.L.‘s first arc, Principles of Power comes to a gripping conclusion, with it acting as a bitter sweet round-up to recent events, whilst setting up future ones perfectly. Highly recommended.