Can the Angels save President Carter, and Charlie, and Ted Gardner? Find out in this thrilling conclusion from Dynamite Entertainment.

CHARLIE’S ANGELS #5

Writer: John Layman
Artist: Joe Eisma
Colorist: Celeste Woods
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 31, 2018

Previously in Charlie’s Angels (or should that be “on?”): The Angels figured out that the latest call they got from Charlie was a fake, and they narrowly avoided being blown up. Lying low in Paris, they are found by the Satansbraten, and captured. They make a deal – to live, the Angels have to help kill the President. After a long, involved setup, the Satansbraten get to the hotel only to find that the President is gone – rescued by Kelly!

CHARLIE’S ANGELS #5

Interestingly, Charlie’s Angels #5 begins in the present day, i.e., not the ‘70’s. Agent Bryce is being interviewed about his role in the operation that thwarted the attempt on President Carter’s life. But he admits that it wasn’t really him – it was three brave women. I kind of like this as a beginning, and this thread runs through the issue.

But back in Paris in the ‘70’s, Kelly is trying to explain things to the President, who is rightfully skeptical. Sabrina and Jill steal a couple more motorcycles (including one with a sidecar). The President is appalled; Sabrina apologizes. All smooth sailing from here, right?  Wrong – Helena’s plan is more convoluted. If she doesn’t hear that the President is dead, she will kill Charlie and Ted. But at least the Satansbraten are out of the picture – after they revealed the plan, the Angels knocked them out.

There is some racing through Paris and a welcome recap of the plot, because it is a complicated one. As they’re racing along, Sabrina comes up with a plan, stops at a phone booth, and calls Bosley. At about that time, the gendarmes show up, asking for their license and registration, as there have been some dastardly motorbike thefts lately. He recognizes the President; there’s a bit of a scuffle, and the Angels flee with the President, this time with a whole gendarmerie after them.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Bosley shows up where the stylish East Germans (remember them?) are holding their hostages. With him are three blindfolded young women, whom he says are the Angels, whom Helena shipped to the U.S to exchange for the prisoners. This ruse doesn’t last long, but in a very cute twist, these young ladies are Chris Monroe, Tiffany Wells, and Julia Rogers (later Charlie’s Angels). They’re being considered for recruitment. I think this is a brilliant way to tie the other Angels into the plot, especially since on the TV show, there was a series of them.

Back in Paris, the motorcycle chase leads to a crash through the windows of the mansion where Helena is. She is irate and draws a gun on them. And the President hits her over the head with a vase. Trite, yes, but completely satisfying. The Angels are honored, privately, and their story has remained secret until the present day when Agent Bryce could finally reveal it.

But whatever happened to Jill, Kelly, and Sabrina? We cut to a scene with three modern-day bad-ass women – Honoka, Carmella, and Sahanna – taking out a crook. (Yes! Angels of color!) What is this all about? Well, Jill, Kelly, and Sabrina have opened up their own agency where they recruit Angels to work for them, and their codename is “Charlie.” I love this. I don’t think we could ever sustain a series set in the 1970’s – the jokes are cute, but there’s a limit to how much fun you can have with leisure suits and giant portable phones. This is a clever way to yank the Angels into the present and it ties up this story beautifully.

FUN, ENERGETIC ANGELS

There are some cute touches in the art of Charlie’s Angels #5. The characters are drawn in a breezy style, but are clearly identifiable (except for occasional momentary confusion between Kelly and Sabrina – both brunettes; I differentiate them by their hairstyles.) President Carter’s likeness is not all that close, but you know, it’s close enough for comics. There is a certain sense of humor in the art – when Agent Bryce reminisces about the Angels, there’s a little heart-shaped panel of him with hearts in his eyes, and extra hearts. It’s very cute. The placement of the opening panels featuring our heroines, along with the classic Charlie’s Angels logo, fits with the story. It’s been in different places throughout the arc, always cleverly positioned.

Paris is minimally rendered. Now I love Paris, but in this story, the point is not Paris. The point is the chase scene and the grand finale crash. We have enough hints to get in our mind that this is, indeed, Paris, and it’s good enough to go with. The action scenes are dynamic – great depiction of the creases in fabric too.

The creative team has done well. I like the lettering. It’s clear, even when the “TV announcer” voice is adding editorial info or just making snarky comments. There’s good use of sound effects, and it doesn’t go overboard with the lettering either. I’d also like to note my appreciation, as I did with issue #1, of the joke in their credits at the opening. In addition to naming what each member of the team actually is, there are parenthetical comments listing a funny version of who they are. It’s been different each time, and it totally fits the tone.

BOTTOM LINE: A TIDY ARC OF “COMFORT FOOD” ACTION

I had a lot of fun reading Charlie’s Angels #5, and indeed the entire arc. The plot befits the TV show – a decent problem, but a whole lot of room for action and a certain amount of goofiness. There is clear affection for the show – and the time period. I think the epilogue is strong. It opens the door to a modern version of the story, but even if there isn’t an ongoing series, it’s a nice, tidy ending. It was a pleasure to suspend my disbelief for a while reading this book.