Punk Rock Jesus #5 Story and Art by Sean Murphy
The Solicitation
Chris and his band The Flak Jackets go on tour to spread his secular message across America. But his band wants to pull out when the conflict between the New American Christians and the punk army gets brutal. Will Chris be able to put a stop to the anarchy before everything ends in a violently horrible Second Coming?
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Why I Bought It
I'm into this comic until the end.
What I Liked
In this penultimate chapter of the series, I'm expecting some things to be set up for the conclusion next issue. And the book most certainly does that.
The art and story have remained consistent throughout this series, and that says a lot for Sean Murphy. PRJ begins to build himself as a strong character and shows that he wants to really dive into his new found beliefs head first.
While we almost get a throw away situation for the NAC, I do believe that they will rear their ugly heads again next issue. I'm also liking how this is set up for a couple of endings that seem predictable, but I think may just take a turn at the last minute. For one thing, Slate is seen in this issue, and if there is one thing we can expect from him it is that he will be ready with one last mind trip on all the characters involved.
What I Didn't Like
The end of the comic signals a couple of possible outcomes for the story, and it does make me wonder how it can surprise me. I imagine that there are a couple of outcomes for a conclusion. I imagine we would find out who Chris' father is. There will be a death with either Chris or Thomas biting it. I wonder if we will get the reveal that the good Doctor's daughter is actually Chris' sister. I'm going to be sad that this world is concluding.
Panel to Remember
I'm going with the two page spread where Thomas gets in the car accident. The one page that is mostly in black does a nice job of capturing that moment like a memory. It is dark, the details aren't all there, but it is something that you will remember. the accompanying page on the right shows how to nicely use staggered panels to lead a reader's eye through the chaos that Thomas felt in that moment. I want to say that this has been done before in this series, but if it hasn't then these two pages definitely show how you would have someone's world rocked.
Quotable
"Do you believe in god?"
"Don't be ridiculous." - Slate and the doctor, showing that Slate has been manipulating everyone all along. Like we didn't know that. But it does lend some weight to the idea that Slate is Chris' father.
Grades
Words: 9/10
Pictures: 10/10
Buy Next Issue: It will be the last one. That makes me sad, but I'm still looking forward to it!
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