Elasticator #6 Review: The Blood Soaked Battle For Brooklyn
By Alex Widen
The meanest rubber superhero returns! But is Elasticator tough enough to save the streets of Brooklyn from Brother V?
Elasticator #6
Writer/Creator: A.C. Medina
Artist: Kevin Shah
Colorist: Ross A. Campbell
Cover Artist: Jean-Francois Beulieu
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Five issues of build up have led to this. Scout Comics‘ latest sensation comes to an action packed conclusion in this final issue. The end result is a borough spanning brawl which showcases just how deadly an elastic superhero can be. Readers learn the ultimate secret of Luther Damon and the source of his power. Mikey Mazzagatti survived Luther’s hit squad as the Elasticator, although his dad wasn’t so lucky. Now, he and his mentor, Thomas Toulsan, make a last stand.
Image by Scout Comics
Everything Luther has tried to build within Brooklyn has crumbled. His aim to wield political power on the city council is over. The organized crime cartel he tried to control is in chaos. And his super powered assassination team are all dead. Yet it seems as if Luther, a.k.a. Brother V, is in his element. To this end, he gets hopped up on the super-compound “Viranon” and leads an army of similarly powered goons through the streets. The fight Mikey has trained for has finally come.
Image by Scout Comics
As a Result, a Massive Brawl Is Afoot!
Thomas has a secret weapon, an “antidote” for the Viranon which will negate its effects permanently. He also reveals that its effects on Mikey’s body were more potent than he’d imagined, and Mikey’s dying as a result. It could be due to Mikey being a teenager and thus still growing when exposed, or the fact that he was literally drowned in a vat of it. Determined to make up for his wasted life, Elasticator prepares for his last battle. He finds Brother V willing to oblige.
Image by Scout Comics
Their battle takes up at least a third of the issue and really showcases Kevin Shah’s artwork. Buildings get smashed and not even the Brooklyn Bridge is safe from their explosive conflict! Brother V reveals a secret of his own; he’s actually an alien! Hailing from an unknown world, he was sent to Earth as a boy and learned the arts of conquest. Now able to shed the last remnants of humanity, Brother V is eager to unleash his full potential around everyone.
Image by Scout Comics
Elasticator isn’t the only member of the cast embroiled in the battle for Brooklyn. Detective Alvarez and her partner are among the cops in the fray. Even Mikey’s long suffering mother and Luther’s remaining drug lord are swept up in it. In the end, Mikey has to use cunning over raw power to prevail, and Luther finds surrender a price too high. And while Mikey may have brought a wasted youth to a violent end, he may leave Brooklyn better than how he found it.
Image by Scout Comics
Therefore, Elasticator Is About Redemption!
There is no superhero story quite like Elasticator, and that’s a great thing. As much as standard superhero comics were an influence, so too were Japanese manga and urban hip hop. The influences of anime have often made it into “street art,” and Elasticator seems to be an ultimate representation of that. Mikey’s foul mouth, scrappy attitude, and passionate actions embody a great deal about the borough as well.
Image by Scout Comics
Luther Damon’s origin is brief and shouldn’t work, but does. It easily explains how he has a compound like Viranon at his beck and call. Furthermore, as much as Mikey is a modern retelling of Plastic Man, Luther is a twist on Superman. The only son of a doomed planet sent to Earth, he wound up resembling a black man in an urban city. It’s heavily implied that the hardships his suffered, due to police officers, helped lead to his path as a villain. All he learned was domination.
Image by Scout Comics
Finally, It All Comes down to a Great Creative Team!
As mentioned earlier, Kevin Shah’s art (with Ross A. Campbell’s colors) really shine through this issue. Shah’s pencils and inks seem to thrive on innovative and imaginative superhuman combat, and this issue has that in spades. In fact, it could be argued that whether someone likes this finale or not depends on how much they liked Elasticator’s brawl with Brother V. The energy across many pages and splashes from it really drives home the action.
Image by Scout Comics
Next: Check out the first five Elastic-tastic issues!
A.C. Medina brings his story full circle. Mikey has a last moment to reflect before we see things in modern day. The kid who started out a nuisance and a drug dealer ended up a community hero, albeit a strange one. Elasticator’s status as a figure of urban legend complete with a foundation and street art is a nice touch. We even get to see Mikey’s siblings all grown up. This has been a terrific series, and superhero fans who are looking for something unique should definitely try it.