Writer: Frank Tieri

Art: Angel Unzueta, Rachelle Rosenberg, VC’s Joe Sabino, Kyle Hotz, and Dan Brown

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 1st, 2020

When we last left off, Misty Knight tried to escape Ravencroft through these secret passageways only to be cornered by a legion of the Unwanted (A.K.A. Vampires). Led by their leader, Bud, their plan was to get Jonas Ravencroft’s journal (for some unknown reason) and blow Ravencroft to Kingdom Come! However, as Misty was cornered and ready to meet her gruesome end, none other than Frank Castle dropped in to save the day and… punish. Let’s dive into the concluding issue of RAVENCROFT #5 by Frank Tieri to see how this mini-series wraps up.

Readers, I’m still not entirely sure what the point of this comic was for. At one point, I thought the book was going to set something up with Reed Richards way back when… but he never reappeared back into the story. Then, I guessed that this tale was molding another angle for Mayor Fisk and his henchmen that were running the asylum… but they too never really came back into the picture. Next, after recent news, I thought this may be the series that picks at the Norman Osborn-Green Goblin scab before AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #850 (click HERE for an advanced preview of the issue). Sadly, you won’t find that festering wound here either! So, after reading this issue and concluding the mini-series, what was this story all about? I’m so glad you asked! It was a five-issue narrative to give readers names of people in a secret organization that the average fan had no $&@$ idea who they were while providing a pre-pre-prequel to a future Knull event, which I can also add wasn’t addressed anywhere in all five issues until the last five pages of THIS ISSUE!

In addition to the lack of purpose bound up in the issue and series, the character voices of Kingpin, Norman Osborn, and Frank Castle just didn’t hit the mark. The dialogue between Frank and Misty was forced for humor, untimely, and lacked a true fit within the context of the narrative. Furthermore, what really bothered this reviewer the most was the lack of motive and reasoning behind the villains interested in killing everyone, including themselves. Sure, Bud wanted revenge for what Ravencroft had done to him but for some unexplained reason, Bud wanted the book first. Why? So, he could read it quickly before the place blew up? It didn’t make any sense. Now, readers do find out where the journal is before the series ends BUT will this journal ever be addressed again? Probably not… And, why was Frank Castle involved at all? Why did he come to save Misty Knight? Again, like the Jonas Ravencroft journal, it was never addressed. Frank just… showed up. Lucky them I guess.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Even though all sense of logic managed to escape this issue, Tieri did do a pretty good job creating tons of action, violence, and fight scenes that encompassed a vast majority of the comic. Moreover, Angel Unzueta and Rachelle Rosenberg did a fine job making those same action sequences leap off the page. Comic Fans, if you came looking for something fun to read that will bombard you with action and killing, this issue is totally for you. However, if you’re looking for a sturdy plot, character progression, and well-written dialogue, this may not be the title for you this week. If you’re starving for something “Marvel” to read, go for it merely for Misty upgrades, pandemonium, and the last couple intriguing pages. Otherwise, save the money and have someone tell you who those people are in the “secret organization” that we’ll probably never see again. Or, maybe they can even tell you how this series ”may” all connect to Knull while they’re at it too! This is a hard pass for me this week.

6.5/10

If you really want to get your hands on this week’s issue of RAVENCROFT, click the Amazon link HERE. And finally, if you’re looking for something else to read, check out my Amazon Online Comic Shop by clicking HERE. Thank you all for the read and continued support. Stay safe and stay healthy.