Kang the Conqueror #5
“Does time mean nothing to Kang… or does Kang mean nothing to time?” That line from the solicit for Kang The Conqueror #5 perfectly sums up the conflict of the issue, but also this whole mini series in general. This is an issue that nicely wraps up the series, closing the loop as it were in the cycle of Kang.
Marvel
Written by: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Art by: Carlos Magno
Colors by: Espen Grundetjern
Letters by: Joe Caramagna
I’ve always been a sucker for Kang stories. When I was first getting into collecting several years ago, there were certain costumes that always caught my eye. That intrigued me and made me want to read stories with them. Kang was one of those characters, and always loving a good time travel story, that just made him even better.
This issue is a spectacular conclusion to the story. It’s amazing how through the wild time shenanigans, there’s so much emotion here. It’s tragic, it’s heartbreaking, the culmination of Kang trying to break the loop does not disappoint. I think maybe that’s why Kang is such a fascinating character to me, this man trapped in time. The decisions that he’s made, is making, will make (time travel is confusing) all showcased here.
What could have been a somewhat hollow cash in to his appearance in Loki, is actually a brilliant Kang character study.
This is all illustrated magnificently. I’ve really loved the art style of this series, it feels somewhat rough and the colors have a certain richness to them that makes them so good to look at. This final climatic issue had some wild sequences which Magno and Grundetjern just nailed, they were such a joy to look at.
Overall, an epic and impactful finale to a series highlighting one of my favourite Marvel villains.