The Wicked + The Divine #5 (Image) – This is the second comic I’ve read in recent months where I’ve witnessed the demise of a comic’s apparent lead character (the other being Southern Bastards). I may need a re-read of the earlier issues because I don’t quite buy the other main character’s reaction, as if in so short a time some super-strong deep bond was formed. Then again, that character is young and impressionable with 15-minutes of fame goals, so I suppose that’s the point: idolatry. Her new larger-than-life, god-like idol was just executed before her eyes. I will say that writer Kieron Gillen’sheartfelt editorial address in the backpages helped curb my overall criticism of this series a bit. At 38, he claims to not be that 28 year old who wrote Phonogram a decade ago, and that unlike Phonogram, which was about being a consumer of art, Wic+Div is about what you do to become a creator of art. So beneath all the violence and foul language, there’s a deeper message to be had, I supposed. Speaking of cuss words, I must add a side note about Gillen’s dialogue, of which I noted I had major problems with in the third issue: I’m starting to think he has a minimum quota for at least one variation of the word “fuck” per every two pages. Or maybe it’s a per-panel quota – say, an average of every 5-9 panels? Each utterance lessens the impact of the next one. Again, I suppose that’s probably the point as well. At any rate, I’m still intrigued. But I might move to trades on this one. – Rating: 3.5