Review – Beta Ray Bill #5
Review – Beta Ray Bill #5
Written By: Daniel Warren Johnson
Art By: Daniel Warren Johnson
Colours By: Mike Spicer
Letters By: VC’s Joe Sabino, Daniel Warren Johnson
Cover Art By: Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer
Published by: Marvel Comics
Release Date: 28th July 2021
Variant Cover: Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin
ARGENT STAR, PART FIVE (SPOILERS!)
Read our BGCP reviews of issues 1-4 here
BILL VS. SURTUR IN THE EPIC FINALE!
Beta Ray Bill and his allies must fight the ultimate battle against Surtur, the fire god responsible for the destruction of Bill’s home planet! It’s going to take an eminent amount of power to defeat this foe! But with his goals in sight, is Bill ready to pay the cost required to return to his former self?
WRITER/ART BY DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON & MIKE SPICER
Ladies and gentlemen, here we go today’s main fight in the red corner we have the challenger Beta Ray Bill weighing 300 pounds and in the blue corner the heavyweight champion of Hell weighing 300 tonnes Surtur.
DWJ and Spicer start the issue with a quick one-two between Surtur and Bill, will Bill easily defeated with a simple gesture by Surtur. Bill’s taunts to shrink down to mortal size work and Surtur shrinks down but again seem to have the upper hand smacking Bill around like he’s the main act on Monday Night RAW.
Thankfully, Scuttlebutt, Pip and Skurge are there for Bill and hatch a plot to distract the egocentric god. Butt transforms into a spaceship-sized cannon while Pip sacrifices himself on Surtur’s arm. Benear his wound is a bomb and this blows off Surtur’s arm causing him to return to full size just as the cannon goes off. Bill pile drives the demon god into a stalagmite and claims the Twilight blade before cleaving off the head of Surtur as vengeance for his planet’s destruction.
There is a touching final few pages with, like the first issue, Bill and Butt are watching Hook. This time we have the Lost boys recognising the grown-up Hook a clear reference to Bill now feeling redeemed and able to turn back in his Korbanite form.
I have loved every panel and page of this series full of cheeky Easter Eggs, in-jokes and general silliness. The rough linework of DWJ helped bring a chaotic style that suited the series and I think many readers will marvel at this simple but clear series for years to come.
Overall Thoughts
This has been a breath of fresh air in the world of stuffy Marvel comics, normally crammed with multiple plot points and devices. A simple quest plot with a limited entourage has helped the title keep the reader’s interest. The balance of humanity and humour was pitch-perfect leaving me feeling satisfied and not complaining about lost plots or nonsensical characters.
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