Writer: Peter David
Art: Sebastian Cabrol, Germán Peralta, Jesus Aburtov, VC’s Ariana Maher, Carlos Pacheco, and Rafael Fonteriz
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: July 20th, 2022
If you could truly live eternally, what would it really signify to “live”? What would a “life” truly mean to you? In this stunning series finale, the MAESTRO discovers himself alongside an unorthodox tag team partner/ enemy bent to deduce once and for all who is the true ruler of Dystopia. Let’s smash into MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5 by Peter David as we find ourselves understanding how the bold favors the opportunistic, especially when that special someone accounts for a few new tricks up their sleeve.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Maestro: World War M #5 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The end of the beginning finally comes as MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M wraps up this week. And it does so… not how anyone would expect. Readers will get more sentiment than expected from the MAESTRO and more heroism from Blonksy than anticipated making this ending not sink up very well with the outset of FUTURE IMPERFECT. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoyed the Blonsky-MAESTRO team-up. It was well-written, clever, and something long overdue in HULK comics. Nevertheless, the ending of these MAESTRO prequels just doesn’t connect well to the classic story and merely leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth as well as a huge gap to overcome.
In FUTURE IMPERFECT, MAESTRO is an evil tyrant without compassion or sentiment. He’s not middle ground or even an antihero which is easily portrayed throughout these last two series, especially in MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5. He’s almost seen as the good guy… when he’s not by a long shot.
When FUTURE IMPERFECT begins, this futuristic version of the HULK is sexist, vile, crude, arrogant, strong, hated, and downright sinister to the core. MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5 almost leaves the MAESTRO in a spot where he appears to be the opposite in almost every way. Granted, if David was going to continue these prequel tales, I would have left with a different feeling wondering when the scales will tip towards the FUTURE IMPERFECT villain we remember. However, as MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5 comes to a close, we see it butts right up against the start of FUTURE IMPERFECT providing this reviewer with the biggest misstep of the entire prequel run and ultimately de-characterizing the MAESTRO from FUTURE IMPERFECT.
Now, if you decouple these 15 MAESTRO prequel tales from FUTURE IMPERFECT, David does a fantastic job of initially ironing out the character and explaining how he gets from point A to point B. Plus, as MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5 unfolds, it provides fans with some emotional insight into Blonsky while ultimately giving fans the drive that pushes MAESTRO to continue on, which has a hint of admiration attached to this would-be psychopath.
I get it: there are a ton of angles and characteristics that develop a protagonist or even an antagonist within a story. However, I thought the intent of these tales was basically HULK breaking bad. And it turns out, fans find themselves cheering more for him by the end of it which again kind of undermines where FUTURE IMPERFECT begins.
ART
The action scenes are intense this week causing Sebastian Cabrol and Jesus Aburtov to provide fans with what came across as almost movie magic. Each scene was ironed out in detail from every destructive blow to pulverizing punch. Every panel and frame was organized perfectly giving each fight a steady flow making the issue easy to follow and understand. Doom’s Hulkbuster suit was a great addition AND I especially loved the way Cabrol and Aburtov took focus on each fight dropping out the backgrounds to add focus and tension to every battle. This creative team definitely furnished the energy and enthusiasm for the issue which added the well-needed gamma power to end MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Readers, MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M #5 isn’t a bad story within itself. However, it doesn’t do justice to the overall premise and story that is MAESTRO and FUTURE IMPERFECT. By the time this issue is said and done, it’s almost as if we get a completely different MAESTRO than we see in FUTURE IMPERFECT, which wouldn’t be a bad thing except this issue butts right up against that very trade.
We needed more hate, more sinister actions, and more jaw-dropping moments from the HULK. Where were his “Anakin killing children” moments? We get very few if any of those. Again, he comes across more as a champion than anything else. Additionally, we get little Rick Jones and the underground throughout the entire prequel stories. Why? That could have been huge story beats that would have better connected these prequels to FUTURE IMPERFECT.
I understand it appears as though I’m acting like a script doctor here, but I do so out of confusion and almost frustration from what came across as almost a retcon of a character’s personality. Yet, don’t get me wrong. I loved Namor, Doom, and especially Blonsky. There is no doubt that Blonsky was the star of this rodeo featuring MAESTRO: WORLD WAR M. I hope that he survives and we get further stories from him. I’d read the heck out of that!
Blonsky after FUTURE IMPERFECT sounds like a fantastic story that could take off in any direction. However, after these past 15 issues developing the backstory of FUTURE IMPERFECT, it just felt like David ran out of steam and forced these prequels together to touch up against FUTURE IMPERFECT when in all reality, he could have just left the gap open for interruption or for future stories years from now. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!