Codename Australia takes center stage, but it seems there are a lot more superhumans in the wild than The Ambassadors expected. Your Major Spoilers review of The Ambassadors #5 from Image Comics awaits!

THE AMBASSADORS #5

Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Matteo Buffagni
Colorist: Michele Assarasakorn
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editorial Production Manager: Sarah Unwin
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 24, 2023

Previously in The Ambassadors: The Ambassadors are special individuals, handpicked from every country for their incredible decency. So why is the Australian Ambassador an old-school, anti-progressive PR nightmare?

A DEAL WITH A DEVIL

He calls himself Big Bob Taylor, and in his seventy-two years, he’s done and seen a lot. A career in football led to politics, culminating in a stint as Deputy Prime Minister of his home country, but now Bob’s in the mountains, tracking down a group of missing climbers. He’s even willing to overlook the fact that they’re all vegans, as becoming Codename Australia has given him a whole new life. Of course, it’s not without a price, as Codename Australia has agreed to publicly come out as gay after a lifetime of homophobic remarks and attacks on marginalized people. Of course, when he finds his missing travelers, things suddenly get complicated, as a crashing airliner nearly crushes them all, and Codename Australia finds himself face-to-face with something that absolutely SHOULD NOT exist: Another superhuman.

Of course, the fact that a horde of them are also murdering innocents back home in Australia may make that a moot point.

ALL BUILD-UP

When I reviewed issue #4 and its puzzling ending for the Major Spoilers Podcast, we worried that, four issues in, the story really hadn’t gotten going yet. This issue continues that trend, as most of the issue is dedicated to Big Bob talking his way onto the Ambassadors and being amazed at his new life and powers. I’m a little bothered that the guy introduced as the questionable racist actually gets more direct character time than any of the previous issues, but I’m more bothered at the end of this issue’s story. The reveal that Choon-He’s nefarious ex-husband has assembled his own team of superhumans and that they’re bonding by graphically murdering children comes out of nowhere, and as distasteful as it is, it’s more disturbing on a narrative level. That’s a real shame, too, as Buffagni provides the strongest overall art so far in the series, especially the climbing sequence. If only it weren’t depicting a child being dropped to her splattery death? The coloring during the entire sequence in the outback is bizarre, a strange mix of purples and oranges that feels nightmarish, and that clashes with the muted palette of the first two-thirds of the issue.

BOTTOM LINE: FEELS A BIT AIMLESS

The best parts of The Ambassadors #5 are in the reveal of Big Bob’s character and some of his secrets, but it’s that same focus that makes this penultimate issue feel more like a second chapter, and the odd color choices affect my appreciation of a talented artist’s work, making for a slightly disappointed 2.5 out of 5 stars overall. As for the next issue, I am becoming more and more concerned that it’s not going to resolve anything, leaving the whole miniseries feeling like an infuriating trailer for the inevitable Netflix show.

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