I have enjoyed Underground much more than I was initially expecting.  It is no secret that I am a fan of the super hero genre when it comes to comic books.  That is by far and away my favorite genre in comic books.  The overwhelming majority of the titles that I read are all super hero titles.  However, I have been doing my best to try and expand the scope of comic books that I read.

Therefore, I decided to give Underground a chance.  I have already written positive reviews for both Underground #1 and Underground #2.  I have faith that Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber are going to deliver a good ending to this series with the final installment in Underground #5.  Let’s go ahead and hit this review for Underground #5.

Creative Team

Writer: Jeff Parker

Artist: Steve Lieber

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Since Underground #5 has not been released yet, I will skip the detailed synopsis portion of our standard review format.  I do not want to spoil this well executed ending to this five issue mini-series.

Comments

The Good: There was plenty to enjoy with Underground #5.  Parker delivers a satisfying ending to this mini-series.  I was more than pleased with the manner in which the story was resolved.  Now that this story has concluded, I went back and read these five issues all in a row.  There is no doubt that Underground is going to read wonderfully in trade format.  If you missed out on this title then I urge you to pick Underground up when it comes out in trade format.

What I noticed the most as I re-read this entire series is that this story would make for an excellent movie.  As I was reading each scene, I could see how a director would be able to weave Parker’s tense and thrilling story into a heart pounding two hour film.  Hopefully, Underground will get optioned.  Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber’s Whiteout graphic novel has been turned into a movie, so I see no reason why the same wouldn’t happen with Underground.

Parker turns in a technically well crafted read with Underground #5.  The story continues to move at a pleasant pace.  Parker has a fine hand for pacing and knows exactly when to slow down the story in order to create tension filled scenes and when to speed up the pacing to provide more intensity to a fight scene.

Parker is equally adept at writing dialogue heavy character scenes as he is with writing more action based scenes.  The result is that Underground #5 is a well balanced read that offers something enjoyable to a wide range of readers.  I believe that readers who enjoy more character driven stories will enjoy Underground as much as readers who prefer suspense filled stories with a bit of action.

What was so impressive is that Underground #5 has an economy of action, yet this issue holds the reader’s attention with a tight grip.  The reason for this is the incredible amount of suspense that Parker is able to generate in this issue.  The reader is immediately pulled into the story.  The psychological roller coaster that Wes and Seth are on as they deal with everything that the cave throws at them makes for an incredibly gripping read.

Underground #5 is more than just a man versus nature story.  Sure, that theme is quite prevalent as Wes and Seth have their wits and physical skills tested with each new daunting phase of the cave.  However, on top of the battle with nature, Parker also has a good old fashioned chase scene brewing at the same time as our heroes are being tracked down by gun wielding thugs with murderous intent.  The result is a story that is able to keep the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

There were several incredibly cool scenes in Underground #5 where Wes and Seth have to get creative into order to make their way through the cave.  Parker has done a great job on this title coming up with some daunting obstacles for our heroes.  Likewise, Parker has whipped up rather creative and interesting solutions to each of the obstacles that our heroes have had to face and conquer.

I did not think that Parker could top himself with what he made Wes and Seth deal with in the previous issues.  However, Parker does just that with one scene in Underground #5 in which Wes and Seth have to work together in order to get past a seemingly impossible obstacle.  This spectacularly tense scene was my favorite scene in this issue.

Parker also does a nice job making the Stillwater Cave as much a character in this story as Wes or Seth.  The reader learns more and more about the cave, its attributes and its history as we progress through this story.  The cave is more than just a force of nature that tests the mettle of our heroes.  The cave is almost womb-like as it acts as a source of protection from the thugs who are chasing after our heroes.

The cave also possesses an almost spiritual essence in particular with the way that Wes talks and interacts with the cave.  While there are times when Wes and Seth have to battle the cave, there are also times when Wes’ spiritual connection and communication with the cave offers our heroes protection from their pursuers.  This extra layer to the story makes Underground a more satisfying read than your typical man versus nature story.

Parker delivers plenty more quality character work in Underground #5.  The reader continues to learn more about both Seth and Wes as the threats in the cave bring out certain aspects of their pasts and personalities.  I have enjoyed how Parker has given the reader background on Seth and Wes via the manner in which they deal with the threats and obstacles in their path.  This has been a much more enjoyable and organic method of giving the reader an insight into both characters as opposed to employing endless narration or flashbacks.  Parker was able to incorporate the back-story of both characters seamlessly into the story at hand.

Parker ends Underground #5 with a satisfying ending.  I liked the few little twists involving Winston Barefoot, the villain of the story.  I thought the resolution involving both Barefoot’s role in this story as well as the fate of Stillwater Cave were both realistic and nicely handled.  The final scene in Underground #5 was touching without being schmaltzy and certainly put a smile on my face.

The final scene of this issue was perfectly done.  After I finished this issue I thought about the final line in this issue: “It’s all about the journey.”  That is the perfect way to describe Underground itself.  The ending is not particularly that important.  What these characters ultimately end up doing or going is not the point of this story.  What makes Underground such an enjoyable read is the journey that Parker takes the reader on with this story.

Steve Lieber does an excellent job with the artwork in this issue.  Lieber’s scenes outside of the cave are well done.  Lieber does a fine job with the facial expressions of the various characters.  Lieber’s artwork is strong enough to carry the story admirably during the scenes where there is no dialogue at all.  There is one incredibly tense scene near the end of this issue where Parker hit the mute button and allowed Lieber’s powerful artwork to carry the scene.

Of course, the real strength of Lieber’s artwork were the scenes that took place inside of Stillwater Cave.  This is where Lieber’s style of art really shined.  The scenes inside Stillwater Cave are just incredible.  Lieber is able to set the mood and tone perfectly for the scenes inside of the cave.  Lieber is able to convey both the cramped nature of the cave at some points as well as the large cavernous aspect of Still Water Cave at other points.  The reader can feel the dampness and cold in the air as they read this issue thanks to Lieber’s artwork.  There are moments where the reader feels positively claustrophobic due to Lieber’s ability to convey the tight spots in Stillwater Cave.  Lieber does a fine job using negative space in order to create the proper mood for the scenes in Stillwater Cave.

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: Underground #5 was a strong ending to what was an enjoyable mini-series.  If you missed out on Underground then I strongly suggest that you get the trade paperback of Undeground once Image releases it.  This is a story that is worth your money.