REVIEW: ‘Static: Season One,’ Issue #5

Static: Season One #5 is written by Vita Ayala, illustrated and colored by Nikolas Draper-Ivey, and lettered by Andworld Design. It is published by DC Comics. “Prison Break” picks up after the climax of Static: Season One #4, as Virgil Hawkins pushes the limits of his electromagnetic powers against Hotstreak. Meanwhile, Virgil’s friends Richie Foley, Frieda Goren, and Darius break into the black site where metahumans are being kept prisoner by the government-but it turns out that some of them may have been held there for a reason.

This issue marks the first time that Draper-Ivey has tackled solo illustration duties — and after reading this issue, I hope we get to see more of his work in future comic projects because this man has talent! Draper-Ivey has been open about the influence of anime on his Static work; Virgil has referenced Super Sentai and a variant for one issue even served as a homage to the anime classic Akira. That influence continues to reverberate throughout the issue, especially during Hotstreak and Static’s fight. When Virgil finally taps into the full force of his power, electromagnetic energy surrounds him in a scene that looks ripped right from My Hero Academia. And fans of the Static Shock animated series will want to keep their eyes peeled for familiar characters, especially on the last page.

Draper-Ivey also handles colors for the issue, mainly using a blood-red hue for the background. Not only does this add an ominous foreboding to the story, but it also makes for a great background for Static and Hotstreak to have their battle. Golden-orange streams of flame collide against bluish-white bolts of lightning, resulting in a pyrotechnic spectacular. The same blue color also extends to the narration captions that Andworld Design creates for Virgil, which also come complete with his superhero symbol.

Keeping in line with the “Season One” subtitle, Ayala has written each issue of the series as if it were an episode of a television series, and since this is the issue before the “season finale,” they manage to set up that finale while still giving readers plenty of emotion and action to chew on. Seeing Static defeat Hotstreak by using the full extend of his powers and his scientific know-how is extremely cathartic, both for Virgil and the reader. And continuing the trend of emphasizing the importance of Virgil’s bond with the people in his life, the issue also features Richie, Frieda, and Darius infiltrating the black site to find the prisoners. Ayala also has a firm grasp on how teenagers sound; while carrying out their mission, Team Static constantly switches code names — this leads to hilarious names for Darius including “Press Pass” and “Louis Lane”. The cherry on top; Ayala even gets Virgil to say his infamous “shock to the system” catchphrase-and it’s done in a way that actually feels natural and not like a giant wink to the audience.

Static: Season One #5 races toward the series’ grand finale by delivering a rematch between Static and Hotstreak, and introducing a few new villains in the process. I can’t wait for the final episode, and hopefully, a “Static: Season Two” announcement because Virgil Hawkins’ return has been nothing short of electrifying.

Static: Season One #5 is available wherever comics are sold.