Dynamo 5, Volume 4: Change Or Die

Dynamo 5 #4

by Jay Faerber, Mahmud Asrar (Artist), Yildiray Cinar (Artist)

The Dynamo 5 team takes on the Brain Trust, an army of Whiptails, and a super-villain couple having a lovers' spat. Meanwhile, the mysterious Father Gideon embarks on an evil plan that will change Dynamo 5 forever Collects Dynamo 5 #20-25, including issue #0.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes

166 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2010

Reviews

[Randy Lander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't thrilled by the set of bad guys in this book or the continuing additions to Maddie's backstory, and the power switch is a bad idea... did we learn nothing from Power Pack in the '80s? That said, it's still a pretty solid superhero offering with great art.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

A supervillain with multiple brains, a designer drug, the return of a mind-wiped foe and TnA up the wazoo. The creators are taking out all the stops to the point of redefining everyone's powers. Was there something wrong with them?

Myriad, one of the members of Dynamo 5, gets addicted to the drug Flex which enhances his powers. During a particularly difficult fight with Brain Trust that isn't going well, he overdoses and transforms into the dinosaur-like Whiptail. Several other addicts transform as well, threatening the civilian population. Maddie offers a truce to Brain Trust - a cure for the drug, in exchange for letting him leave Tower City unhurt. Dynamo 5 go from dealer to dealer, but the drug's creator gets away thanks to his informant in FLAG.

Maddie's long lost son Michael's plan against his mother is coming to fruition. He has Synergy capture Dynamo 5 using a FLAG weapon that disables their powers. The good guys escape and use the FLAG weapon to restore their powers, albeit mismatched. They face Synergy while still trying to figure out who has what power. Thankfully, they convince her that Michael was never going to help her free her mother from prison. She leaves in tears, while Michael is arrested.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 4th volume of this very comic booky adventure has its first hiccups as some story elements just didn't click here. The story is still fun and the action is solid but I didn't love some of the changes. Maddie's history continues to interest me but the story was just okay. Some plot points seemed to disappear, at least for now. The art by Asrar is still very good. Overall, the series has been very good but this was the first volume below that bar.

[Carl Siggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great volume, action packed and exciting.

[Sarospice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is like crack. I completely devour each trade the second I get it. Then just for shits and giggles all the heroes trade powers. Love it!

[Rye Bread · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is where I feel the series shortcomings were most telling. It felt the most like a formulaic story Id expect from a kids cartoon in the end.

Avoiding spoilers, theres a big change for the team that isn't explained as well as it could be. If they are all the child of the same hero then it's understandable they would have the potential for any of his powers. But why only one at a time?

Instead of giving opportunities for each member to show development in their powers fitting their personalities and experiences, we instead get reset so they have to relearn everything, even how to work as a team.

It felt like the writer ran out of ideas. Might explain why there hasnt been a volume 6

[Joe Sergi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The basic plot is simple yet creative. Captain Dynamo was a great superhero with numerous abilities who protected Tower City. He married an intrepid reporter (and secret agent) named Maddie Warner. However, Captain Dynamo was also an unfaithful letch and constantly cheated on his wife, fathering numerous illegimate children. After Dynamo is murdered, Maddie gathers five of these illegimate children (each with a different aspect of Dynamo's powers) and forms Dynamo 5 to protect Tower City.

What makes the comic great is Faerber's excellent story telling and focus on the family dynamic aspect to the book. This is not new territory as Faerber, who is also the creator behind Noble Causes. I should mention that Image recently released two very affordable archive editions for Noble Causes (V.1 and v.2). Both are must reads and actually feature the first appearance (and death) of Captain Dynamo. I guess that makes Dynamo 5 a spin-off of Noble causes.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice solid story. Some touches of gray are added to previosly b&w characters. They may not be the Incredibles, but the offspring of a super hero (from his many affairs-a minimum of 6) have become more interesting to read about.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre fare as far as comics go, mediocre fare as far as this series goes. This is my last Dyname 5 read.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The villains in this book are especially generic, but the twist at the end is decent enough. I don't get all the whiptails or whatever.