Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Review

    Real Science Adventure #5 Review

    Ingrid Lind-JahnBy Ingrid Lind-JahnNovember 24, 20184 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    The books are recovered, the gang sneaks out, the job is tidily wrapped up…or is it?

    REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES #5

    Writer: Brian Clevinger
    Artist: Meredith McClaren
    Colorist: Shan Murphy
    Letterer: Tess Stone
    Publisher: IDW Publishing
    Cover Price: $3.99
    Release Date: November 21, 2018

    Previously in Real Science Adventures: The Nicodemus Job: Nicolas and the gang made it into the Great Library of Constantinople and found the books they needed, but the map they needed was in yet another section. Sofana wheedles her way into the Map Room, Palatina takes the cart out outside, and Iskander causes more chaos at the main desk where Berikos shortly arrives. As he berates the Library workers, the Captain of the Guard shows up to question him.

    THE GRAND PAYOFF

    As Real Science Adventures #5 begins, Sofana and Nicolas see that the Guard are confronting Berikos. Emir’s part in their plot has apparently worked! But Iskander is down in the midst of the guards. (Nicolas wonders madly how to get him out and not abandon him.) Berikos loudly proclaims his innocence – after all, why would he need to steal a book he has the loan of? The guards explain how he could not only keep the book for longer, but then claim a reward for eventually “finding” the book again. And a priest is the witness that overheard that heard that the “mercenary” (Emir) had been hired by Berikos. Who could doubt a witness like that?

    Just a few minutes before this, Palatina sneaks over to where Emir is being held and loosens his ropes. Emir quietly dispatches a guard, but a full-blown fight would be too loud. Never fear – Palatina has a plan! They get into the cart – and Palatina crashes it into the Library. Okay, it wasn’t an elaborate plan, but still… There’s a bit of a fight, and a switch of carts, and the gang is gone, leaving the Nicodemus behind.

    A few hours later, they meet up with Vasilakas, the merchant who hired them to recover his books. He is amazed, and has to know how they did it. They explain how they set up for the Guard to discover part of a contract between Berikos and a mercenary, which made them want to look for the rest of it, which was dropped in the Library, where it would be discovered. Then they stole not just Vasilakas’ books, but others as well, so there was no obvious pattern. The set up was such that the Guard thinks they foiled two major thefts, so not only do they look good, but they’re the ones in charge of explaining what happened and will have no interest in looking for a deeper plot.

    Vasilakas is astounded, and agrees to send his men back with more payment for them. The gang waits, and talks for a while…and wonders why it’s taking so long. Then a group of guards comes in and apprehends them, not for theft, but for plotting to assassinate the Emperor. We see that on the trip to the prison, they manage to perform a switcheroo – the guards get locked up, and they get away. But now there is a bigger mystery – what does Vasilakas want with the books? What does he have planned? The gang is going to need to disappear for a while to find out, and strike back!

    CLEVER USE OF CONTRAST

    Real Science Adventures #5 is genuinely fun to look at. The art style is loose and breezy. But it is really in this issue that the art shows us the little flashbacks that are a mainstay in the telling of a heist story. This is where we see where the magic happens. What are the little things everyone does to set up their part in the plot, and how does it all hook up together? Setting them off in a sort of sepia tone makes it clear just where we are in the timeline.

    Again, I like the facial expressions. Everyone is so happy when they pull this one off and it works out. And Vasilakas is properly amazed. I was not expecting the twist ending, but it fits so well, and holds out the promise of further adventures, which would be awfully fun.

    BOTTOM LINE: THE TEAM SAVES THE DAY

    The story arc of Real Science Adventures #5 closes out here, and it is indeed satisfying. Berikos gets what is coming to him, and the wild plans all manage to work out. This is a really fun read and I like the way it was carefully plotted and set up.

    Real Science Adventures #5

    90%
    90%
    Indeed Satisfying

    The story arc of Real Science Adventures #5 closes out here, and it is indeed satisfying. Berikos gets what is coming to him, and the wild plans all manage to work out. This is a really fun read and I like the way it was carefully plotted and set up.

    • Writing
      10
    • Art
      8
    • Coloring
      9
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    Atomic Robo Brian Clevinger IDW Publishing Meredith McClaren Real Science Adventures Review Shan Murphy Tess Stone
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleTitan Comics for February 2019
    Next Article Major Spoilers Question of the Day: The Eagle The Shark or The Panther Edition
    Ingrid Lind-Jahn

    By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.

    Related Posts

    Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 Review

    Read More

    Wayne’s Comics Podcast #698: Interview with Tyler Kirkham

    Read More

    Retro Review: Menace #11 (May 1954)

    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    7.3
    June 22, 2025

    Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 Review

    6.7
    June 22, 2025

    Retro Review: Menace #11 (May 1954)

    8.0
    June 20, 2025

    Jeff the Land Shark #1 Review

    4.0
    June 20, 2025

    Toxie Team-Up #1 Review

    8.3
    June 17, 2025

    Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1 Review

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Derrigable on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • ZackaryTobias on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • Nathan on Wayne’s Comics Podcast #696: Interview with Creators from Concrete Arcanum
    • Austin Cowboy on FIRST LOOK: Conan the Barbarian #21
    • Frank on COMICS PORTAL: Batman Meets… Deadpool!?
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT