The Last of the Greats #5
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Pencils by Brent Peeples
“Let me tell you a story. A family picked to protect a species, sent to ensure their survival so that they can play their role, so that they can be something more than the flea bitten apes they are. And that family comes and invests everything in your planet. Only for you to rape and destroy them. Murder them. Except for one. The Last.” – The Last, The Last of the Greats #1
When we first met The Last, he was a reluctant savior. The last hope of a world threatened by invasion. A hero who, despite the fact that the people of Earth murdered his family, single-handedly saved our planet. He fought off the invaders. He eradicated diseases. He rebuilt the world.
But it quickly became evident that The Last was not what he seemed.
As the story of The Last unfolded over these five issues we learned of his true relationship to the world’s invaders. We discovered the true fate of his siblings. We watched his relationship with unwitting viceroy Charles Beaumont evolve. We were introduced to his niece – Charles’s daughter – and watched as her powers developed. And, as the story came to a crescendo, we witnessed these two extraordinary beings come to blows in magnificent fashion.
This will be the final issue of The Last of the Greats for the foreseeable future, pending the sales results of the first trade paperback. I encourage you all to pre-order this trade from your comic shop of choice (might I recommend Super-Fly Comics & Games?), as it may be the only way to get your hands on a copy.
While the pace of the story seems to have accelerated since the reveal of the impending hiatus, The Last of the Greats #5 continued to deliver at the level of the previous four issues – with one exception. Brent Peeples’ art has improved with each issue, and this issue looks absolutely beautiful. I sincerely hope this art team remains in place for any future follow-up series.
Speaking of a follow-up series, after the surprising reveal at the end of this issues, the creative team teases that The Greats will return in Return of the Greats, a series tentatively slated for this summer. I for one can’t wait. With another entertaining chapter, I give The Last of the Greats #5 4 out of 5 “all growed up” punches.
