Linnea is at the end of her rope and determined, at any cost, to prevent the cult from killing more young women. Will this plan work as she expects? Find out in Pine & Merrimac #5 from BOOM! Studios.

PINE & MERRIMAC #5

Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist: Fran Galán
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Jon Moisan
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: May 29, 2024

Previously in Pine & Merrimac: Parker and Linnea sneak into the cult meeting, but the leader discovers there is an intruder. The detectives quickly bluff their way out, but minutes later, the guards realize they let the intruders go. The chase is on! Linnea and Parker make their way over a fence and to a nearby building where they find the furry orgy in progress. One of the attendees there recognizes Parker, and the pursuing cultist asks about him. Linnea is more determined than ever to stop the cult, but her physical reaction to death is difficult to work around. She devises another plan to sneak in and delay the sacrifice while Parker convinces the police to come in. What she does not realize is that the police are in cahoots with the cultists.

A WOMAN ON THE EDGE

Pine & Merrimac #5 opens at the cultists’ ceremony right after Parker was shot. The senator demands to know if that counts as a sacrifice for the ritual or not. The police, who came in with Parker, tell the leader that Linnea cannot stand to be anywhere near a murder. She is supposedly somewhere safe and, more importantly for them, not here.

Indeed, Linnea is all alone and pinching herself madly. Her worst nightmare has just happened.

The scene changes and Linnea is lying in bed with Parker. As much as she loves him and as great as the sex is, she is distracted and worrying about her sister. It is not just her sister’s death that bothers her. She wonders what would happen if she lost Parker. She does not want to go through that emotional upheaval again. He promises her that she will die first so he can make sure she is never alone again.

But that is only a memory and Linnea is still alone in the dark, until Abigail finds her. Abigail accuses her of stealing her life and her comfort, ruining everything for her, leaving her at rock bottom. She holds a gun to Linnea’s head. Linnea tells her to go ahead. Surprisingly, this takes the wind out of Abigail’s sails. She never intended to shoot Linnea. She expected the detective to talk her down, show her the error of her ways, and help her move on and become a better person. She only wanted to scare Linnea. Abigail tosses the gun away and walks off. Linnea picks up the gun.

Finally, the ritual is close to completion. They will make their offering to Chenor and see if he accepts. But first they must choose their next designate who will need to start considering their own wish for the next time. They also may need to pull in some more favors to make their meeting even more secure. Suddenly there is an outcry. Linnea walks in brandishing a grenade. She demands that they let the young woman go safely, or everyone in the room will die. The cult leader reminds her that they can always find more girls.

The senator suspects she is bluffing. Linnea demands if he has ever known what it is like to lose someone he loved, someone he would do literally anything for. Linnea is at her wits’ end. She would do anything rather than live without Parker. The senator thinks for a moment and realizes that he has never loved anything but power, money, and success. She throws the grenade. He catches it. It is a fake. But what Linnea really has is a gun.

I am not going to spoil the ending. There is quite a satisfying twist, even more so on a second read when I really understood what had happened, when I saw just how devious and clever it was.

DESPITE THE DEEPEST DARKNESS

Color plays a significant role in the art of Pine & Merrimac #5. The ritual scenes continue to have major red overtones. Not only is this dramatic, but it is a subtle reminder about the blood they have shed and plan to shed more of. Linnea’s scenes are deep in blue and purple. We can tell from her expression that she is at the lowest point she has ever had, and the color emphasizes this for us. It tells us that without Parker, all the color has gone from her life. The intervening scene with Parker brings a sudden glow of golden daylight. It is such an abrupt shift that it is hard to tell at first if it is memory or a dream, but it is clearly the opposite of the darkness.

But I think my favorite scene in this issue is the confrontation with Abigail. The woman has been a thorn in Linnea’s side, but also a bit of comic relief. When she threatens to kill Linnea, she has on her full makeup, and she is wearing her pearls. She is exactly as dramatic as we have come to expect. When she is faced with a Linnea who has hit an even deeper rock bottom, she is suddenly nonplussed. She is used to being able to manipulate people with her drama, and she thinks she knows how people will react. She ends up talking herself through her problems, which gives her a surprising little arc of character development.

BOTTOM LINE: A DESPERATE GAMBLE

Drama, horror, and murder – Pine & Merrimac #5 has it all, and it dares to tie it all together with a surprise that I did not see coming and which pays off delightfully.

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Pine and Merrimac #5

93%

93%

This issue has it all!

• Writing

  10
• Art

  9
• Coloring

  9
• User Ratings (2 Votes)
  9.3