Out this week, hopefully in your local comic book shop, Ant-Man #5 is the final issue to a hidden gem of Marvel Comics. With all of Marvel’s biggest series like Immortal Hulk, Venom, or X-Men, it’s easy to lose track. But if anybody needs a break from the long-running series, this series encapsulates the fun times. With times being a little difficult, a little absurdity can go a long way.
Recap
This Ant-Man series follows Scott Lang trying to reconnect with his daughter Cassie (Stinger) through superheroism. In a series of misadventures where Cassie shows up her father, the supervillain Macrothrax steals her insect communication helmet.
Ant-Man #5 Story
Scott can’t catch a break with the Avengers and his daughter not taking him seriously. However, in Ant-Man #5, Zeb Wells goes out of his way to show how both he and Cassie develop. Scott wants to be the hero his daughter can admire, while Cassie wants her dad to see her as a hero. To that end, Cassie wants to clean up the mess from her stolen helmet even if it means going in alone. Scott meanwhile demonstrates his greatest strength by actually listening to the people he speaks with. This includes the ants Scott cares for, with other insects noticing. While everyone else treats Scott as a joke, these insects give Ant-Man some much-needed help. All in the most absurd way possible, any specifics would be spoilers.
Artwork
Dylan Burnett displays impressive transitions of conflict through his artwork in Ant-Man #5. In the first pages, things look pretty mundane until a glimpse of the absurd pops up. Yet it the colors by Mike Spicer that really bring this feeling out to the point of having the giant bugs match the color of the weather services. One page even has the Langs feeling small in comparison to the bugs by looking cartoonishly simple. Their bodies practically look like sticks, unlike their heads. The designs of the bugs meanwhile are between looking scary (with their many small eyes) or endearing (with their expressively big eyes). Interestingly enough, the insectoid Macrothrax resembles Ultron with Cassie’s helmet.
VC’s Cory Petit’s lettering even brings this similarity full circle with Macrothrax’s spiteful dialogue. While this does make him threatening, the way he speaks like “Your father has dim Brain” allows for amusing banter Cassie does to mock him. The numerous wordmarks in Ant-Man #5 meanwhile feel expressive, especially the sounds the numerous insects make. With so many sounds going on at once, it ties into the importance of communication and listening and allowing for Scott, Cassie, and the bugs to effectively work together.
Ant-Man #5 Is A Fun Time
Ant-Man #5 ends a run that features some absurd parts of the Marvel Universe. With Scott and Cassie Lang likely making more appearances in the MCU, now’s a good time to get acquainted. Otherwise, people can miss out on some fun times especially if you take the time to listen to others.
