Reviews»Comic Books»Rai #5
RAI_005_COVER-A_CRAIN
Kareem Ali 5

Rai #5

 

  • The good

    The plot to kill Father being set in motion. Lula and Momo's stories are very intriguing and adds to the overall world

  • The bad

    Some of the blanks between last issue and this one not filled in.

  • The ugly

    • Rai #5 begins a new story arc and has Rai working on a plan with others to kill Father, the advanced artificial intelligence that controls Japan, and be completely free. It’s not an easy task especially considering the fact that Father can do things like run a subconscious diagnostics on Rai while he sleeps. This is due to Rai’s recent discovery that he had a mother and so Father is taking no chances when it comes to losing control over the protector of Japan. And Rai also believes that Father can read his mind so he’s careful not to give anything away in his thoughts as he prepares to receive the next set of objectives from Father. The fight between Raddies and Positronics has escalated recently with the Raddies now attacking the Fungal Farms and other areas in order to stage an even larger attack on the nearby Positronic birthing factories. But what makes them so dangerous now is they’re using a special chemical that makes them invisible to the police force and the Fish-Eye monitors so they can move anywhere undetected by the usual means. So Father wants to send Rai after the Raddie leader believed to be responsible for distributing this chemical and put an end to him and his operation. However, Rai has other plans, and Spylocke attempting to create a physical zone outside of Father’s awareness in order to hold a meeting is a crucial part of his plans. But with Rai believing that Father can infiltrate his thoughts combined with the history of other Rai’s going crazy after learning the truth, what are the odds of them being successful with any plan that includes Rai?

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    I’ve been eagerly awaiting this issue for months since the end of the first story arc, and this issue was definitely worth the wait. Of course, the artwork by Clayton Crain is just stellar and I’m always amazed by the vibrant colors and the futuristic vibe dripping from every little detail in the panels. So even if one doesn’t have a clue what Fungal Farms are they just look amazing and spark the imagination in so many ways. And it’s not just new concepts given form but the detail in the characters and overall environment. So it’s easy to become engrossed in this world even without words but the story is just as excellent. The start of new story arcs can sometimes be rough but this one is smooth as silk, and not the character. It was interesting to see the cat and mouse game between Rai and Father at the start of this issue with the question of whether or not Father could read Rai’s mind looming over every action. However, the story would open up beautifully and the story threads being juggled would come together so seamlessly. Spylocke would work to set up a safe zone for the meeting but it wouldn’t just be Rai and Spylocke, and it would tie into the current fighting between the Raddies and everyone else. And the way this unfolded was highly entertaining, and the question of trusting Rai only made things more intriguing. And yet this issue wasn’t just about that as Lula would have an interesting situation and Momo, the Positronic without a human companion would have a course of action that has me extremely excited for next issue. And that’s what’s so remarkable about this issue: so much occurred but it flowed so well and never felt cluttered. So I couldn’t be happier that Rai is back.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Rai #5 is an excellent start to the new story arc and creates exciting story threads from the plan to kill Father to the independent Positronic deciding on a course of action to live. From the first page to the last I was completely engrossed in everything taking place. The introduction of the chemical hiding Raddies from being detected was a great touch as it made the overall plot against Father seem more plausible and interesting. And the uncertainty regarding Rai’s mental state in terms of Father’s ability to read his mind added a little more edge to the entire situation. And Lula finally getting her own Positronic along with Momo searching for meaning in her own existence rounded off the events taking place in this futuristic world nicely. So I’m glad that I won’t have to wait 4 months to get my hands on the next issue because it’s just too good.

     

    Release Date: 12/3/14

    Writer: Matt Kindt

    Artist: Clayton Crain

  • Rating ( 9.8 )
  • Total score 9.8

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