Barbarella: The Center Cannot Hold #5 // Review
She has a plan for defeating the Architects. She's given it a lot of thought. (Probably.) The thing is...she needs to learn what the odds are of success. Two of the others on the crew are intimately aware of the odds. After a bit of persistence, one of them finally lets her know: the odds of success are 0.05%. They're all going to go through with it still. It's just...kind of necessary for her to know what the odds are in Barbarella: The Center Cannot Hold #5. Writer Sarah Hoyt continues a fun space fantasy adventure with artist Riccardo Bogani and colorist Werner Sanchez.
They would've expected a massive fleet waiting for them when they arrived. It's completely empty. No signs of life at all. They just came, and no one's there. Barbarella is convinced that something smells funny. It's possible that they're walking into a trap. It's also possible that they've been misdirected deliberately. And, of course, anyone who is working with real strategy knows that time is of the essence. So if they just talk through things, they might run out of time anyway. And that might be exactly what The Architects want. Or maybe not.
Hoyt plays elegantly with ambiguity and strategy. The drama makes it to the page in a way that feels very engaging, even though it's just a lot of talking. The fantasy element of it is strong enough to anchor the reader's interest, even though it's just a lot of speculation between the title character and her allies. Of course, things eventually do get going, and when they do, Hoyt hits the ground running with heavy conflict that pulls the reader and characters clear through to the end of the issue. Hoyt's working with some very clever tension and pacing throughout the chapter.
Hoyt's plot would have come across as being very still in motion. There's no denying how Bogani and Sanchez do SUCH a good job of making it all look so beautiful. Sanchez's colors create an immersive fantasy world locked into place by Bogani's rendering of some very gorgeously strange-looking characters. Through it all, the title character remains a magnetic center to everything. Doesn't just look fantastic. A definite sense of assertive concentration about her propels the action in a way that keeps it all moving.
Hoyt, Bogani, and Sanchez call the fantastic grandma to a close with a great deal of style and flair. It's all drama, and there could be a better deal of action. However, that doesn't matter. Because it all looks so good while everyone is discussing dramatic matters pertaining to a distinctly non-human culture. Once again, the title character manages to keep herself totally on track the entire issue, and everything feels more emotionally engaging than one might typically expect from a light space opera. It's precisely the type of thing that makes for an outstanding Barbarella story.
