Scout's Honor #5 // Review
Scout's Honor #5 is written by David Pepose, drawn by Luca Casalanguida, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. Scout's Honor #5 is the thrilling and emotional conclusion to the Scout's Honor series.
Throughout the previous four issues of Scout's Honor, Kit went through hell. She went from having the utmost faith in the Ranger Scouts as an institution to the belief-shattering realization that the Ranger Scouts were behind the death of their founder, Dr. Jefferson Hancock. Kit's friendship with Dez crumbled as the Scout Master continually pitted them against each other, falling apart completely once he realized Kit was a girl, and therefore, a traitor to the Scouts.
Kit's father died. She was on the cusp of joining the Eagle's Guard when her identity was revealed, and she was exiled to die in the Badlands. Kit's entire life quickly fell apart. Until she teamed up with the Highwaymen. But in Scout's Honor #5, Kit, her Hellspider companion Tenderfoot, and the Highwaymen are ready to overthrow the corrupt Ranger Scouts. This clash will decide the future of both the Scouts and the Highwaymen, and Kit hopes it will lead to a better future for everyone.
Scout's Honor #5 is emotional as hell. Pepose opens the issue with a flashback to Kit and Dez on their first campout in the Badlands. When Kit's worried about her dad and everyone back home, Dez reassures her that he'll always have her back. And then immediately Pepose jumps to the present, where Kit is leading the Highwaymen against Dez leading the Eagle's Guard. Seeing this happen right after their declaration of everlasting friendship makes the situation all the more painful.
But Kit and Dez's friendship isn't the only painful emotional experience Pepose puts the reader through. Dez confronts his father, struggling with what his father wants for him versus what he wants. And when Kit reveals the truth about the Ranger Scouts to everyone (and yes, there was, even more, to learn about their origins!), they have their own crises of faith.
Scout's Honor #5 is packed with action, and Casalanguida pulls out all of the stops. There are many moving pieces within the battle scenes, but Casalanguida does an excellent job of keeping things in focus. With Milla's flat but intense colors providing the backdrop, the characters really stand out. Furthermore, Milla's use of both light and shadow change along with the story's tone, enhancing the experience.
Mangual's letters in Scout's Honor #5 are solid overall. There's a good use of space within the speech bubbles and with the placement of the bubbles. They help the dialogue flow well and follow the way your eye would naturally be moving across the page.
As a series, Scout's Honor was not only action-packed and intense, but it had a lot of emotional depth as well. And telling a complete story in just 5 issues is a pretty tall order. But the creative team behind Scout's Honor rose to the occasion. And Scout's Honor #5 is the perfect conclusion to the series. All of the plot points are wrapped up, but the narrative is left open enough that the reader can imagine what might happen in the world after the story ends. Scout's Honor #5 is an emotional punch in the gut that sticks with you long after you read the last page.
