‘The Mummy #5’ Review
Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Ronilson Freire | Published by Hammer/Titan Comics
So here we are, the dramatic wrap up of what has been a pretty good updating, or reimagining, of The Mummy mythos. Interestingly, like most other genres, The Mummy ultimately comes down to power. The people who have it, the people who want it, and the people who need it. After all the dramatic developments of the previous 4 issues, we are left with a power struggle between various groupings. The Pyramid Club, the lesser of the various evils, The Sect of Anubis, responsible for the entire mess, Kharis, the resurrected High Priest looking for his lost love Nebetah, and Duncan and Angel, caught in the middle of everyone. Something, or someone, has got to give.
The issue starts with a flashback to 1882, and the origin of the conflict between The Sect of Anubis and The Pyramid Club, and the revelation that they were once all part of the same group. Flash forward to now, and Angel and Nebetah have effectively merged, with Nebetah ‘speaking’ to Angel in her thoughts. Holed up in the British Museum, Kharis has found her, and The Sect of Anubis ,with just 24 hours left before the demon Ammit will claim their souls, decide to launch a desperate assault to capture Angel. After some initial skirmishes, Angel/Nebetah unleashes a Prayer of Animation, causing all the mummies on display in the British Museum to come to life and go on a rampage. Horrific, and funny.
The Sect of Anubis beat a hasty retreat, as does more surprisingly Kharis. He can sense that Nebetah, by merging with Angel, her blood is no longer ‘pure’. She is no longer his love. Duncan is still confused as to how Angel and Nebetah can co-exist, as Nebetah has always overwritten the personality of the bodies she has inhabited. He theorises it is because of Angel’s dead twin, that she always had an empty space for a new soul. The Sect of Anubis, now defeated, are preparing to face their fates. Most commit suicide in the face of the demon Ammit’s appearance, though not all. They won’t be back anytime soon though.
What’s left now is some wrapping up, and some setting of the stall for future adventures in this world. Angel/Nebetah are for now a single being, though Duncan locates Nebetah’s Book of the Dead and thinks he can adapt it to allow her to pass on if she wishes. A story for another day. The Pyramid Club survived, though justify their continuing existence by claiming to now fight other societies abusing the ancient powers of Egypt. Again, a story for another day. As for Kharis, he has turned up in modern day Egypt, calling on the ancient gods to help him restore their previous glories. Safe to say he’ll be back.
A good issue to end the book. Milligan nicely juggles the resolution of this initial storyline, with setting up several new possible storylines for the future. We have a new status quo, but one full of potential. Lots of action was delivered, though I missed the vein of intrigue and sneakiness that had been a major part of previous issues. The only slight disappointment was how easy the immortal Sect of Anubis was defeated, and how the double dealing of The Pyramid Club was not really mentioned again. One minute plotting Angel’s death, the next offering her membership of their club. Art wise, as strong as ever and perfectly suited to the script. Perfect pacing in the layouts, great to look at, and very nicely coloured too.
As a whole, a great 5-issue storyline to reset The Mummy for a new generation. Some tradition, some new wrinkles, and as much fun as ever. Milligan really has resurrected The Mummy.
**** 4/5
