Fanboys Anonymous

Ant-Man #5 cover by Mark Brooks

"What is this, a center for ants?"

I have been waiting for the infamous line from the movie Zoolander during this entire series. It is an obvious gag, but like so much in Ant-Man, it is delivered with great comic timing.

Writer Nick Spencer delivers a story with his usual panache and style, while Roman Rosanas and Jordan Boyd provide superb artwork. The melding of these talented creators is a supreme coup for editor Wil Moss. When editors get it so right like this, it is magic to behold. This issue brings to close a fantastic arc and makes me hope for much more to come from this team.

Spencer's Ant-Man is Scott Lang, an every-man sort of guy, the type you want to root for and be in his corner when the chips are down, yelling "get back in there and finish this off!" It shows how infectious and how much fun this comic can be.

Issue #5 is a little more serious than the previous, but given that it is the concluding issue of this arc, that is understandabe. As Scott races to stop his first real antagonist as a Marvel character—Darren Cross, who has been resurrected from a cryo-stasis death—Cassie, Scott's daughter, remains on the operating table and directly in harm's way.

There are some really good action pieces in this issue, but the best part of all is the way Spencer ties everything off nicely. It is satisfying to see resolution at this stage of the series. While I acknowledge some cliffhanger plot points are well placed for the writer to pursue at a later date, it is also crucial that, should the series not pick up again after "Secret Wars," the story achieves some level of completion that fans can appreciate.

Ant-Man is stuck in a Toe-Jam!

You could do a lot worse than this comic. It ticks all the boxes. While this may not be the funniest issue of the arc, it does achieve exactly what the capping issue of a first arc should do. The emotional strings that have been hung by the creative team for the character of Ant-Man are pulled with great effect. The end has at least a few "awww" moments. The story is engaging, balanced with a serious nature and outcome but pitted with the humorous points that are so characteristic of the series' voice.

Rosanas and Boyd are responsible for a good deal of emotionalism in this issue. They bring the characters to life in a way that makes readers give a real damn. I hate the fact that we get interrupted here by "Secret Wars" (which was a good read also, by the way). I want to see more of what Scott Lang will be up to, but I guess that will have to wait a couple of months at least.

Its the final show-down...

The artistic team's continued focus on characterizations and not the flash and bang of big company comics has paid off dividends. As an audience we get a richer tale rather than just pretty pictures, though that isn't to say the art is lacking in any way. Far from it—the art matches the book's style extremely well, it is spot on. It could even be argued as a more relatable style than Marvel has pushed with the likes of Superior Foes of Spider Man or Hawkeye and is asserting a unique niche all of its own in the publisher's line up. Long may it stay.

If you haven't been keeping a pace with the series so far, I highly recommend getting the trade paperback once it hits shelves. This has been so much fun to read and a definite highlight of my month to read and review. Seriously, go and get it, you won't regret this one.

Cassie Lang's plight...

As this arc draws to a close, what did you think of the start of this series? Did you like the way it rounded off? Do you hope to see more of this series after "Secret Wars"? Make sure you tell us what you thought of the book by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook or Twitter and make sure you come back next time for the next installment in the Ant-Man Annual in July.