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Maestro: World War M #5
- Writer:
- Peter David
- Artist:
- Sebastian Cabrol
- Letterer:
- VC's Ariana Maher
- Cover Artist:
- Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz, Jesus Abertov
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-07-20
- Colorist:
- Jesus Abertov
Over the years, several variants of the Hulk have rampaged across the comic book pages in the Marvel universe, yet none have been as terrifying and tyrannical as the malevolent Maestro, who possesses the physicality of the Incredible Hulk and the intelligence of Bruce Banner. Maestro first appeared in 1992's Hulk: Future Imperfect #1 by Peter David and the late George Perez, in an alternate timeline where nuclear warfare has left much of the Earth's surface a wasteland. As the surviving humans of Dystopia bow their heads to him, Maestro tussles with Namor and Doctor Doom for power and sovereignty. Written by Peter David with artwork from Sebastian Cabrol and Jesus Aburtov and lettering by VC's Ariana Maher, Maestro: World War M #5 puts an end to the three-way grudge match.
Maestro: World War M #5 opens with Emil Blonsky, aka the Abomination, calling a truce with Maestro while the two wait for Doctor Doom's valet to teleport Emil back to Latveria. Meanwhile, Doom cleverly sniffs out the ambush and creates a counterplan to trap the two green goliaths. Abomination and Maestro find themselves teleported to a jail cell made out of pure adamantium, a perfect cage to box them in. However, as cunning as Maestro is, he improvises and takes control of the situation, getting the upper hand. As Maestro goes on a rampage, Emil takes advantage of the commotion and goes the other way, accessing Doom's control room for nefarious reasons of his own.
Action is the watchword in Maestro: World War M #5 as Doctor Doom's castle becomes the backdrop of an epic showdown. While everyone's a bad guy in the story, Doctor Doom and Namor are the main antagonists. Since his wife and son's death at Maestro's hands, something deep within Namor has broken, which makes his conscience manifest in the form of his old flames and lost loves. A tragic villain till the end, his other counterpart, Doom, remains walled up like always behind the mask. The unlikely team-up of Maestro and Abomination is a solid congruence of brains and brawn, who are just powerful enough to turn the tables on their enemies.
Guest artist Sebastian Cabrol replaces German Peralta for the final issue but keeps up the energy and style previously established. With the entirety of the book being set indoors, the artwork does its best to replicate the brick and mortar of a castle interior. High ceilings and arched windows decorate the walls behind the characters as the close quarters create a claustrophobic atmosphere with just enough room for the musclemen to duke it out. Colorist Jesus Aburtov does much of the heavy lifting in the issue, dousing it in appropriate colors to keep the action discernable from the granular background. Aburtov uses muted tones but does not hesitate to amp up the colors when things get explosive.
Maestro: World War M #5 brings the curtain down a tale of bad blood and supervillain slugfest, giving the arc a satisfactory ending while keeping the timeline intact. Peter David hides his plot devices well, using them at the last moment for dramatic effect. A moment of deus ex machina clears a path for Maestro to exact his revenge. While Abomination was the viewpoint character at the start of the tale, by the end of Maestro: World War M, it is Maestro's voice that reverberates throughout the panels. This final issue brings the monstrous character's story full circle for a powerful and satisfying ending.