Ain’t No Grave #5
Written By: Skottie Young
Art By: Jorge Corona
Coloring By: Jean-Francois Beaulie
Lettering, Design & Logo By: Nate Piekos
Death is only the beginning according to the antagonist of The Mummy films. However, that doesn’t explain specifically what occurs once we expire. Unfortunately, in the pages of Ain’t No Grave #5, it seems time is up for Ryder. The clock strikes High Noon and she finds herself staring Death in the face. Here at the crossroads, is Ryder ready to go home? And if so, which one?
With Ain’t No Grave writer Skottie Young takes the traditional outlaw traveling the trail into the afterlife. From the shoot out in Cypress that takes place in issue #2 to the card game aboard the riverboat Her Blind Majesty in Ain’t No Grave #3, each issue takes Ryder to a location that contains familiar nods to the Wild West. They also remind the protagonist of things, as we see in flashbacks throughout the series the path Ryder has blazed through life. As the series progresses these scenarios stand out when you notice that along the Cypress road a few apparitions Ryder encounters are surprised by her decision to make the trip. But given the personality that Young has provided via Ryder’s backstory, along with her stern and tough appearance courtesy of Jorge Corona and Jean-Francois Beaulieu, by Ain’t No Grave #5 few of her actions are a surprise.
During the series, various spirits Ryder encounters along her travels, Young uses a word that can be viewed as both ominous yet also a once avoidable event. By using it, the writer seems to indicate that what Ryder is experiencing didn’t have to occur. Or at least not this way. This echoes what her husband Darius was preaching way back in Ain’t No Grave #1, and even issue #3. But in Ryder’s eyes, Darius’ way of dealing with a problem is to lay down and wait to die. So when faced with the diagnosis in the first issue, Ryder felt there was only one choice – to leave her family behind. Sure, she could have accepted the doctor’s advice, especially since it came from Darius who saw a different side of his wife than others. Two roads diverging; leaving Ryder little choice. Did she ever actually have one at all?
Which makes it no surprise how Ryder greets Death when they meet in Ain’t No Grave #5. Not only does the series star believe she can cheat the reaper, Ryder aims to take him on in a gunfight. But even if Ryder is optimistic, the terminology used in the issue titles allude to her ultimate fate. This is because they coincide with the psychiatric strategy often used to cope with death and loss. However, the knowledge of how Ryder’s journey is going to end does not alter Ain’t No Grave #5’s ability to deliver an impactful message. All while allowing the artists to continue crafting a world where folk aesthetics and a fantastical hereafter coexist.
The combination of the Sundance Kid with Supernatural that surrounds Ryder’s existence that transforms each stage of Ain’t No Young into a therapeutic session. By having each issue feature a flashback to a younger Ryder, readers get to experience a catharsis. The occurrence of someone slowly but surely accepting what is about to take place. It acknowledges all that has occurred and all that is yet to be as a sort of “In Memoriam”.
With the last few panels of issue #5, Ryder’s story and the series come to a conclusion. At the parting shot, as she recognizes her fate, readers get a glimpse of Ryder’s eyes which are yellow. But, there’s no denying even up to the end, she did it her way.
Score: 8.9