Convergence #5 Review: Throwing The Changeup

DC has a history of pulling the rug out from under us during events when it comes to the identity of the Big Bad. Remember Zero Hour? It looked like Hawk … er, I mean Extant was the big threat, but it turned out to be Parallax instead. In Identity Crisis, all signs pointed to Doctor Light until the twist came and Jean Loring was revealed as the murderer. Heck, even in the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Monitor looked like he may be a bad guy while he was spying on everyone, until he told the heroes about the Anti-Monitor.

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That’s all relevant because Convergence #5 follows in that grand tradition, making us question the pecking order of the various villains involved. Is Telos the master or the servant? If he’s the former, what’s up with Brainiac? And is Deimos playing at a much bigger game than anyone could have originally suspected?

Jeff King makes it work because the whole series has been full of surprises. The tournament between cities has become merely a mechanism for a story about a much bigger conflict, and except in the area of fan service, it’s a more interesting one.

Some readers might consider that a bait and switch, but it’s hard not to get to the end of this issue and feel like it was a fun journey. The relay team of artists has been just fine too, with Andy Kubert taking the baton here. Though his figures have gotten a little looser and more angular over the years, he remains a master. King gives him the most vicious fight scenes of the series to date, which he tackles with relish, and no one does a better grim look of determination. Kubert also has a knack for doing the random panel that catches you off-guard — check out Jay Garrick zipping up the wall and upside-down on page 17 — plus there’s a full-page picture of someone crashing through a wall riding a dinosaur. How can you not like that?

There’s some character development too, specifically in regards to Dick Grayson and Yolanda Montez, which is good since the Earth 2 heroes are currently without a book. Who knows how this is all going to shake out over the last three issues, but the middle act has definitely been entertaining.

SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

So Deimos had Brainiac captured, or at least he knew how to free him from someone who did. The villain reveals that Telos was once human, or something like it, and was only transformed into his current form by Brainiac as part of a deal to spare his family and people. Shades of Galactus and his heralds. Dick feels some empathy toward Telos as the last survivor of his world.

Outside, Warlord and Tara are trying to gain entry to the castle, but some lizard men attack, and Tara ends up kind of dead. Speaking of dead, Machiste thinks he sees an opening to attack Deimos while he’s occupied with Telos, but that plan backfires as he literally has his heart ripped out.

The Earth 2 heroes decide to take a stand, and Superman manages to go toe-to-toe with Deimos. In the spirit of “enemy of my enemy is my friend,” the others try convincing Telos to help them.

Ah, Tara isn’t dead, but she will be if Warlord doesn’t get some help. Meanwhile, Flash and Superman consider trying to push Deimos into the Speed Force, so it might be time for the desperation play:

Deimos squashes that plan by banishing the machine god again, at which point Warlord crashes through the wall on the back of a Triceratops. Read that sentence again.

The clash between old enemies is brief, as Deimos uses the time abilities he stole to age Warlord to dust. The roof collapses during the fight, separating the heroes from Deimos but also trapping Yolanda with the bad guy.

Flash tells the others to go rally help from the cities while he doubles back to look for Yolanda. Dick find a Batarang and wonders if he should make the tie between himself and Batman stronger (yes, of course!).

While they get their act together, Deimos takes Yolanda to Brainiac’s former occupation chamber, explaining how she was at the first Crisis in a former existence. Deimos then uses Brainiac’s machines to broadcast an offer to the heroes of all of the remaining cities: serve him and he’ll protect their worlds. That could make the big round-up a little difficult.

Next: Previously: our Convergence #4 review

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