Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Jorge Coelho
Colours by Tamra Bonvillain
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
Published by Boom! Studios
Ending on yet another cliffhanger, the arrival of John Flood #5 could not have been any more enticing. Things have really begun to escalate after Flood and the still mysterious serial killer came to a head in the last issue, making it appear all the more likely that their stories are bound to end in shedding one another’s blood. There is still one more issue left to truly see how this fast paced, exciting series will end, but before that, there is still the action packed, violent current issue to dive into.
The killer is barreling straight towards the police station where Flood, Berry, and police officers Sandy and Andy Markham are currently situated. The station is low on officers, as the killer has strategically committed random acts of violence around the city to create a real sense of chaos and havoc. The distraction initiates the beginning of the end. The killer’s use of public spaces to distract the police paint him with a very maniacal veil, proving that no sense of innocence occupies his mind with tracking down and eliminating the enigma that is John Flood.
With the combination of Justin Jordan’s script, which is fairly light in terms of dialogue in this issue, and Jorge Coelho’s penciled lines at their most striking, the flow of action and rapid pace is electric this issue. There are still moments of humour, showing that there is never the wrong scenario to input some laugh out loud moments. Whether it’s something Flood says or visualizing what is going on inside his head, Jordan and Coelho have been consistently great at showing and telling the comedic aspects. However, this issue is all about the action. The moment the killer bursts into the police station covered head to toe with a cold, menacing body armour and backed up by an arsenal that would fulfill the needs of a small army, images of The Terminator come to mind.
Tamra Bonvillain provides, as per the regularly scheduled program, a colouring job that truly adds to the frenetic pace and tone. Her effective use of a muted red-pink, cold green-blue combination within the police station, surrounded by a proper amount of a rising smoky mist, creates a very eerie atmosphere that amplifies the tension of the claustrophobic environment. Ed Dukeshire’s lettering, through word balloons and playful use of fonts for the sound effects, rounds out an incredible solid outing for this impressive creative team.
Once again, another cliffhanger ends John Flood #5, setting up what is sure to be quite the final issue of yet another superb book that fits in quite well with the great year that BOOM! Studios are having on the comic shelves. Will the mystery that is John Flood finally be revealed? What exactly is the driving force behind this relationship between Flood and the killer? Whatever is revealed in the final issue, John Flood already deserves recognition as one of the more exciting and fresh titles on the stands and is in quite capable hands to round out this series in the new year.
