Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5 will be bringing the second act of Murewa Ayodele of the greater story he has been telling with Ororo Munroe. Through this second act we have seen the Eternal Storm storyline being taken to another level. We’ve seen Storm take on literal Gods and come out on top. But now after going up against Eternity’s sister, Death, it appears Storm has met her match. With all that’s happened could the Eternal Storm storyline end in tragedy? Let’s find out with Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Murewa Ayodele
Artist: Federica Mancin
Colorist: Java Tartaglia
Letterer: Travis Lanham
STORM: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST MUTANT #5 SOLICITATION
“THE EVE OF BATTLE. The Cyclopes’ hunger for dripping human flesh, the fishmen thirst for widows’ sorrow and the wizards gather genocidal spells. But our protector, STORM, is nowhere to be found. She doesn’t want to be found. For her heart aches and bleeds for a lost love.” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5 absolutely swings for an epic ending to this mini-series, and for the most part, it gets there. There are so many big moments packed into this issue that it’s hard not to be impressed by what Murewa Ayodele and Federica Mancin pull off. That said, the way this final visual concludes this mini-series is what keeps this reaching that next level of being special.
That ending is really the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5. The way Ayodele paces this issue makes it feel like everything is building toward something epic. Mancin’s artwork only strengthens that feeling, with phenomenal visuals that capture the epic, cosmic scale of what’s happening. But just when you’re fully locked in, the story suddenly ends.
It would be one thing if the ending of Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5 played like a hook for an ongoing series. The image of Storm standing in a destroyed city in a battle-damaged costume while surrounded by bodies is haunting. It feels like the kind of final page that should lead right into another issue next month. But that’s not the case, because this is a five-issue mini-series. That makes the ending feel less like a deliberate cliffhanger and more like the story got cut off too soon.
Even with that frustration, there’s no question Ayodele and Mancin succeed in creating an immersive reading experience. Ayodele does a great job making this feel like a true cosmic-level story, which immediately sets it apart from the usual Marvel superhero book. It has a scale and tone that makes Storm feel larger than life in the best way.
Leaning further into the different mythologies woven into the Marvel Universe also helps the scope of the story. You really feel the weight of Storm’s battle with Eternity and what it means for her to serve as their host. As much as being Eternity’s host gave Storm incredible power, it also limited her because she was tied to Eternity’s mission. Watching Storm break free of restraints placed on her by a god is every bit as epic as it should be.
The glimpses we get of the wider Marvel Universe during Storm’s battle also add a lot to the overall scale. Even though those scenes are brief, seeing other heroes and villains react helps sell just how massive this Storm vs. Eternity conflict really is. That’s what makes the final image of Storm back in her normal form land as well as it does, even if the ending itself feels abrupt.
A lot of what works in Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5 comes down to Mancin’s incredible artwork. Ayodele’s writing is strong for the story he gets to tell, but Mancin’s visuals are what make everything hit as hard as it does. Every page and panel carries a sense of epic scale. Between Mancin’s artwork and Java Tartaglia’s coloring, the book never loses that grand, larger-than-life feeling.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #5 had everything in place to deliver an epic ending, and for most of this final issue, it really feels like that’s exactly where things are headed. Unfortunately, the sudden ending leaves the impression that the series was cut short. The final image is so strong that it honestly feels like there should be a few more pages after it, but there aren’t. While it would’ve worked as a great hook ending for an ongoing series, it doesn’t quite work as the conclusion to a mini-series when there’s no clear sense of when this story will be picked back up.
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
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