Review: Dragonfly and Dragonflyman #5

DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN #5 (OF 5). The DragonflyÂ season concludes with a final confrontation between Dragonfly and Stinger!

Let“s be honest. Sometimes the main character in a bookÂ just doesn“t measure up next to their sidekick. Sidekicks are the unsung heroes of lots of stories; they“re the comedic relief, the voice of reason, the support without which main characters likely couldn“t do what they have to do to bring a story to its conclusion.

In the last issue of Dragonfly and Dragonflyman #4, On Earth-Alpha Dragonflyman was still dealing with the after-effects of Devil Man“s Temptatronic Brainwashing Beam that caused him to have an aversion to physical combat. On Earth-Omega, the Stinger had discovered that Dragonflyman had been tracking his position without his consent.

In the current issue of Dragonfly and Dragonflyman #5, On Earth-Alpha Dragonflyman was able to find a work around to deal with the after-effects of the Temptatronic Brainwashing Beam, thanks to help from the Stinger. On Earth-Omega, the Stinger confronts Dragonflyman about effectively installing a version of Life360 in the Stingers body. A new character named Ashley is introduced, and the teams equipment becomes compromised.

I gotta say Tom Peyer’s work and ability to integrate current technology into his stories so far is low key genius. While on one hand “brain hacking”, is definitely a future threat, Cyberstalking and tracking the location of your loved ones is a different discussion entirely. Apps today like Life360 and Circles pit safety and security against privacy and surveillance.

Stingers, angers is definitely warranted but I feel conflicted the obvious benefits and its potential pitfalls. Is it beneficial to Dragonflyman to know where his partners whereabouts, or is it stalking? I know for a fact that teenagers who resent being trailed digitally sometimes disable location features, take pains to “spoof”“ their GPS, or leave their phones at friends“ houses to throw parents off their scent.

The art for Dragonfly and Dragonflyman #5, allows Peyer to have layout the ethics of some interesting topics albeit done in a goofy way. With no less than 8 artists attached to this issue it definitely flowed where it was supposed. Often time the action and violence was minimized.

The Earth-Omega portions continue to anchor this title, while the Earth-Alpha just concluded its narrative, without giving us much of a reason to see more of the alternate universe. Dragonfly and Dragonflyman is still one of the best titles out there that“s just not getting enough attention. Primes with just enough elements that make it an easy target for the big or little screen I just can’t recommend picking this up enough.

SCORE: 4 stars out of 5.Â

Main Writer: Tom Peyer
Main Art: Peter Krause, Leonard Kirk, Juan Castro,
Colorist: Paul Little,
Letterer: Rob Steen
Additional Writers: Mariah McCourt, Tyrone Finch, Matt Brady
Additional Art: Joe Orsak, Solo Lee, Leila Del Duca, Shawn Crystal
Publisher: AHOY COMICS