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. Maestro fights Namor and Doctor Doom to power and control the Dystopia survivors. 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. Doom, however, cleverly detects the impending ambush and devises a plan to capture the green goliaths. Maestro and Abomination are teleported to an adamantium jail cell, which is a great place to put them in. Maestro, however, is as clever as he can be and improvises to take control, winning the battle. Maestro is on an ill-advised rampage. Emil, however, takes advantage and reaches Doom’s room to get his own nefarious purposes.
Action is the watchword in Maestro: World War M #5 as Doctor Doom’s castle becomes the backdrop of an epic showdown. Namor and Doctor Doom are the antagonists in this story. Maestro killed his son and wife, Namor suffered a deep emotional loss. This causes Namor to turn to his past and his lost love. Doom is his counterpart and a tragic villain until the very end. Maestro and Abomination form an unlikely alliance that is just strong enough to take down their foes.
Guest artist Sebastian Cabrol replaces German Peralta for the final issue but keeps up the energy and style previously established. The entire book is set inside, so the art attempts to recreate the interior of a castle. The walls surrounding the characters are decorated with arched windows and high ceilings. This creates a feeling of being in a cramped space, but still allows for enough freedom to allow the men to fight. Jesus Aburtov, the colorist, does most of the work in this issue. He paints the pages in appropriate colors so that the action is clearly visible against the background. Aburtov prefers muted colors but will not be afraid to use more vibrant colours when necessary.
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 conceals his plot devices very well and uses them in dramatic moments. 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. The final issue of the story brings Abomination’s tale full circle, providing a satisfying and powerful conclusion.
