Is it Monday already? It must be so, because here’s another Triple M column for all of you to digest and enjoy! This week we cover Blood Syndicate #5!
(Click the cover for a larger version!)
The cover says it all, as the Syndicate buries their leader Tech-9 in this issue. Our story opens during the funeral as the Syndicate toss their leader’s guns into his grave and salute him by drinking & reminiscing about their fallen friend. While the group is mourning, two people that will figure into the Syndicate’s future are introduced: John Wing and Nina Lam.
We first meet John Wing as he is leaving his suburban home to go to work. He hops into a limo where his driver tells him his agenda for the day. He tells the driver to cancel his morning meeting and postpone a meeting with the mayor until the afternoon. “The Coalition’s meeting now, it is time we deal with the Paris Island problem!” He tells his driver. The Coalition meets later in the morning, and it appears that they are almost like the Mafia in Dakota. They complain to Wing that they are seeing no profits due to the Syndicate’s actions on Paris Island. Their “business” used to pull in a million a week, and now they barely make a hundred thousand. The group clearly wants to remove the Syndicate permanently, and Mr. Wing tells the gentleman not to worry that there is no such thing as a problem without a solution. One member of the group speaks up telling Wing that he sounds scared of the Syndicate, and in a scene reminiscent of the Untouchables he is dealt with rather quickly. Wing smacks him upside his head and as he falls face first into his food, Wing tells him:
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This guy seems pretty hard-core, and seems to have already developed a plan to dispose of his enemies. Meanwhile, Nina Lam is a teenager who attends the St. Anne’s School for Young Women in Dakota. She hates her school, and especially hates her classmates that make fun of her ethnicity. However her sleep seems to be haunted by strange dreams, almost nightmares.
(Click the scan for a larger version!)
It looks like Nina’s father is hoping that her nightmares really are from the pizza, as he seems to be dreading what they could really mean. What they mean will be saved for another day, as we rejoin the Syndicate who are discussing two things – Brickhouse’s bowel movements (It probably comes out like rocks, or clay if she ain’t feeling too well are their thoughts), and their money running out. Wise Son decides they should hit a crack house that night to solve their money problem, and the Syndicate hits the subways for their latest raid.
As they approach their latest target. John Wing’s plans are set into motion. Lookouts see the Syndicate approaching, and communicate this to the Coalition. Wing wants to see his plan up close and tells his driver to head for “sector 2”. The Syndicate head for the crack house, but Fade tells the group to hold up before they go in. He feels something weird, he says to Wise Son, he has a bad feeling. Wise, who is apparently stepping up to be group leader, tells Fade to forget it and just go in to the building. Despite the protests, Fade goes into the building with the Syndicate close behind. They find the crack house pretty much deserted, and the group thinks they may have made a mistake. They were correct as the building explodes, with them still in it! Mr. Wing appears to have made his move and taken out the Syndicate!
Who will survive this explosion, and what else does the Coalition have up their sleeves? What is hidden in John Wing’s basement that will spell doom for Dakota? What do Nina Lam’s Dreams mean? What does Brickhouse’s bowel movements look like anyway? We will find out the answers (well maybe not to the bowel movement one) in Blood Syndicate #6!
This issue was not as action packed as the first 4 issues of this series, which was a good thing. The group bonds over their grief, and we are treated to some character traits unknown until now such as Tech’s suggestion that Brickhouse tie knots in rope to help her adjust to her large hands. The exchange in which Fade, Masquerade, Third Rail and Wise Son discuss Brick’s use of a toilet had me rolling. All of these moments show that these guys are not just a gang, but also a family. Despite the fact that they have lost someone important to them, they will move on.
This issue also marked the debut of the books regular penciller, ChrisCross, and while it was shaky at times it was a marked improvement over the first four issues. Ivan Velez used this issue to introduce some subplots for future issues, particularly in the case of Nina Lam. She is dreaming of a female warrior fighting a demon, and time will tell what this all means. There is also the introduction of the Coalition, who will hopefully prove to be a thorn in the side of the Syndicate for some time to come (that is if they survived the explosion….. wink-wink, nudge-nudge). Overall, Blood Syndicate #5 may not have been a barnburner in terms of action, but it was a fun read and a cliffhanger ending leaves the reader wanting more.
Next week we will tackle the next issues of Hardware and Icon, so be sure to join us then!
