This issue of Suicide Risk sorta reminded me of that show Weeds in a weird way., Instead of turning to selling the sticky-icky, though, struggling mother Ada Robins, who herself has just been left alone with debts to pay and complicated children to raise, invests in black market superpowers! Goddammit I wish that was a real thing. Armed with the powers of “wishing for shit,” she promptly has a near-miss with statutory rape and then presumably gets split open like a Thanksgiving turkey by the cast of Magic Mike. Hey, judge away, but it’s not like you wouldn’t partake in your own sexy kind of strange if your jilted ass were turned into a genie. Of course, this is just the beginning, and what follows is a tight, pretty terrifying little decant into the birth of, for lack of a better word, a villain.

If you’ve been following this series at all, you’ll notice that Issue five is a complete divergence from the main plot the book has followed thus far. In fact, Suicide Risk #5, in many ways is a zero issue, and while I’m not usually a fan of those, I kind of dug it. Following Ada into and through the other side of her maddening transformation effectively filled in some gaps in this world, not least in more clearly defining the boundaries of what is possible in this universe, but also further blurring what is really going on.

The vindication of this character is also pretty great. Although her switch to the dark side happened pretty abruptly, it was good to see her go all “pig blood Carrie” on the people who heretofore made her life a living hell. Never underestimate a good Comeuppance, kids. The only thing I really don’t like is her name. Instant Access? Why not just call yourself “Gargantuan Slut” and get all the jokes out-of-the-way now?

My biggest worry is that this issue could detract from the overall sequential reading experience of the series, as is always the chance you take with this type of aside. It was a pretty big potty break, after all, but I have enough faith in this book that it’ll get back on the road soon enough. Let’s see if the creators can fold this backstory into the narrative effectively and without too much force starting next issue, when we rejoin Leo Supercop: The Gravity God.

The art of Suicide Risk #5 is a bit bland for my liking. I think it does a fine job incorporating the unsaid side of the story, which admittedly is pretty important here, but it also feels inconsistent in parts. Elena Casagrande is clearly talented, but some of the panels (particularly those in the fight scene with Ada’s ex) feel stylized in a way that isn’t my taste, almost like they are rushed. It’s largely inoffensive, though the color could have been a bit brighter or less-shadowed. On a more positive note, can I just say that Stephane Hans variant cover is off the fucking charts?! What a great image!

I’m still enjoying this series, with the writing in this issue being particularly sly and seductive, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes, and where this all fits. I’m guessing somewhere inside Instant Access? OOOOOH!

Score: 3/5

Writer: Mike Carey Artist: Elena Casagrande Colorist: Andrew Elder Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/4/13