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
    Hardware: Season One #5 Review
    Review

    Hardware: Season One #5 Review

    Matthew PetersonBy Matthew PetersonMay 9, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read

    Hardware ended last issue as the target of a missile attack. Will this issue be just 20 pages of smoke and ashes? Your Major Spoilers review of Hardware: Season One #5 from DC Comics awaits!

    You can read this issue via our Amazon affiliate link

    HARDWARE: SEASON ONE #5

    Writer: Brandon Thomas
    Artist: Denys Cowan
    Colorist: Bill Sienkiewicz
    Letterer: Rob Leigh
    Editor: Chris Sotomayor
    Publisher: DC Comics/Milestone Comics
    Cover Price: $3.99
    Release Date: May 3, 2022

    Previously in Hardware: Season One: Curtis Metcalf returns to Dakota with a bounty on his head and a killer named Reprise is looking to collect!

    FROM OUT OF THE RUBBLE

    We open with a flashback, as a young Curtis Metcalfe remembers when his father walked out on their family, remembering how abandoned he felt. Cut to the present, where Hardware is barely holding up tons of rubble, protecting his friend Asher from sudden death. With a little instruction, Asher is able to kludge together an escape route, with Hardware’s technology saving them both. In return, he gives Hardware a private plane, allowing him to go after Alva personally. As for Barraki Young, she is in Alva’s clutches already, but both she and the old man are surprised when a plane arrives, seemingly bearing Curtis Metcalfe right back into the line of fire. When his security people fail to stop the armored hero, Alva does the unthinkable: Shutting down Curtis’s A.I., P.O.P., remotely and leaving Hardware to crash to the ground.

    REPRISE!

    The villain shown on the cover, Reprise, only appears at the very end of the issue, and he is the focus of my biggest complaint about this comic book: Two and a half of the issue’s 20 pages are devoted to stat panels of his face. Sure, it’s a clever way to show off his self-replicating powers, but in an issue that already feels crowded, it also feels like a misfire. This issue’s story picks up oddly from issue #4, then lurches forward from there, never quite feeling like its own beast as much as a segment of a bigger story. Cowan and Sienkiewicz are a truly spectacular art team, but even their kinetic visuals can’t get me past the feeling that this book wasn’t designed to be an individual issue. There are some strong moments in here, including our hero succumbing to shock for a few minutes during the flight from Singapore, and I like the idea that he has programmed his A.I. to simulate his absentee dad, but overall, it’s not as satisfying as it should have (could have?) been.

    BOTTOM LINE: THE STORY SEEMS SPREAD A BIT THIN

    Even with my complaints about the pacing and break points of the story, Hardware: Season One #5 is an exciting read with two really great artists working in concert, and while it’s fun to see this new take (and to see Denys returning to one of my favorite of his creations) it doesn’t feel like a discrete chapter, leading to a still-above-average 3 out of 5 stars overall. There’s one issue left to wrap this one up, and I hope that it pulls everything together successfully. After such a long wait, it would be a real shame for Milestone Comics to make a comeback, only to disappear for another couple of decades.


    Dear Spoilerite,

    At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

    HARDWARE: SEASON ONE #5

    63%
    63%
    Middle Chapter Syndrome

    This issue feels less like an individual comic book than a few pages of a larger graphic novel, but the art is very strong and the story isn't bad.

    • Writing
      5
    • Art
      8
    • Coloring
      6
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    bill sienkiewicz brandon thomas chris sotomayor dc comics Denys Cowan Hardware Hardware: Season One Milestone Comics Review Rob Leigh
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleAvengers Forever #5 Review
    Next Article BUSINESS: Frank Miller Presents inks deal with Diamond Comic Distributors
    Matthew Peterson
    • Website
    • Twitter

    Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.

    Related Posts

    Star Wars Celebration Reigns – Did You Hear? Week of Friday, May 27th, 2022

    Read More

    Dueling Review: John Carter of Mars #2

    Read More

    Batman: Fortress #1 Review

    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

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

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

    Reviews
    7.0
    May 27, 2022

    Batman: Fortress #1 Review

    8.0
    May 27, 2022

    Ice Cream Man #30 Review

    10.0
    May 26, 2022

    Killadelphia #22 Review

    7.3
    May 26, 2022

    Legion of X #1 Review

    10.0
    May 25, 2022

    Adventureman #9 Review

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Daniel Jackowitz on Hero History: Lightning Lad
    • Daniel Jackowitz on Hero History: Lightning Lad
    • Tim Pervious on Retro Review: Captain America Annual #8 (September 1986)
    • Daniel Langsdale on PREVIEW: Blood Syndicate: Season One #1
    • Jonathan Cadotte on So You Want To Read Comics: Legendary Edition
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    ComiXology Home Page">
    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)
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2022 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

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