Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: al ewing, crystal, flint, Gorgon, HRL, inhumans, kree, marvel boy, Marvel Comics, maximus the mad, medusa, noh-varr, protector, Ronan The Accuser, royals, swain, thony silas

Royals #5 Review: An Enjoyable Read, Especially For Inhumans Fans

Trapped into individual guilt-induced prisons on Hala by Ronan the Accuser, the Inhuman Royal Family are having to face doubt and must figure out a means of escape. Luckily, Crystal, Medusa, and Marvel Boy begin to gather some ideas on how to overcome the Accuser and his methods.

Royals is shaping up to be the perfect example of a "pretty good" comic. It never rises to greatness, but it hasn't really slumped into boredom or detachment. The characters are likable enough, and the premise is interesting. They no longer have access to Terrigen, so Noh-Varr the Marvel Boy will find it for them. Al Ewing is one of Marvel's top-tier writers right now, and I've yet to see a comic title from him that is less than good — with the exception of the odd off single issues.

Ronan the Accuser is one of the best sometimes-villains in the Marvel Universe. He stands against the heroes in only so much as it benefits the Kree Empire. He no longer holds any ill will towards humanity, and he has helped the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Novas in more recent instances. He even helped defend the Earth from Thanos' Black Order during Infinity.

His method of "accusing" the Royals of their crimes is interesting and is a nice way of cutting to the core of some of these characters. Crystal's stand against him is quite cool, and it's nice seeing Medusa smack down the fake Black Bolt that Ronan conjures for her.

That being said, it's hard to find a reason to refer this title over much of the offerings from Marvel or DC right now. If you have no interest in the Inhumans, I can't really blame you, especially after Marvel's attempted phasing out of the mutants. I have some interest in these characters, but I can't really defend it in the way I can stand up for my love of Luke Cage, Winter Soldier, and Hawkman. So make of that what you will.

Thony Silas's artwork is solid enough. It's weird and cartoony and fits the overall tone of the comic fairly well, Flint confronting his dead parents and Gorgon dealing with his wife notwithstanding. Ronan's head still looks way too small for his massive body. The color team keeps the comic bright and appealing, too.

This is a pretty decent comic. I can recommend it. However, that is not really the same as saying you definitely should read it. If the Inhumans are your jam, go for it. You'll likely really enjoy it. If you have no interest in the Inhumans, well, you're probably not paying attention to the title anyway, not that I can blame you for that.

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