Left on Mission #5 – A Review

The best mini-series of the year ends with this issue. Hands down this was the best short story produced in the comic book world in 2007. Better then James Bond, makes Bourne almost boring, ups the ante by making the spy thriller genre a great read.

Even if you have not gotten any other issues I still think you could enjoy issue #5 and if you have to skip the final issue, then do yourself a real favor and buy the trade coming out in December.

I was worried about the final issue, because so many great stories fizzle out when it comes to delivering the end. Either the writer has decided to do a cop out and take the easy way out or the writer has some decree from above to soft pedal the ending. Even worse the writer sees potential in the characters he has created and is worried about going too far with the story and messing up a future payday.

Chip Mosher (writer) holds nothing back and delivers everything you could want in an ending to a story. The ending makes sense, is consistent with who the characters have been portrayed as and is a firm conclusion. Have you ever read a story and can see that something has to happen because the writer has set it up so well. You know at least a part of how something is going to end. As you are reading or watching a movie you look forward to seeing how that element you know has to happen will occur and then it never does because the writer pulled some rabbit out of his hat to change everything. You feel totally cheated because the writer controls everything and never let you in on the deus ex machine so you could never see it coming. The writer may think it is clever, often I feel gypped or taken advantage of by the writer.

In Left on Mission you know that while Eric is married, that he and Emma have to sleep together and they do. You also know that not everyone can get out alive and they don’t. A perfect ending to a perfect story.

Now while I have continued to rave about the story. Let me also talk about the art. The pacing on this book is phenomenal and this book just further seals the deal. There is a two panel spread that is absolutely fantastic. While it is a classic great two panel picture at the same time the layout is advancing the story. So often big two panel spreads just are there as pretty action shots or just letting the artist cut loose. This does all of that and more. I have to see one of Chip’s scripts because I’m guessing that he is acting as a director while Francesco Francavilla is providing the brilliant photography.

There is plenty of room for flashback stories and there is certainly enough going on for a follow-up story also (as no one who is alive ever has their story end), but you have a complete story with this mini-series.

Left on Mission provides international landscapes, spy games, action, romance and some decent political views. This book works as a spy story, a love story, an action movie, a travelogue and has some good intellectual underpinnings.
If you missed it, then you missed out on it.

For 2007 – No one did a better mini-series then Chip Mosher (writer) and Francesco Francavilla (artist).