Table of Contents Show
The current arc of The Forged has taken the series in a different direction than expected. The last issue was about the political machinations and aftershocks of the previous arc; now, in The Forged #5, it is all about character dynamics as they take a much-needed shore leave — a pulp action series to have such a subdued arc is an intriguing decision, but does it pay off?
Shore Leave Activities In The Forged #5
Each of Scimitar-3 gets their own time to shine in The Forged #5 and it is both funny, heartwarming, and a tad menacing at times. Victory was invited to dine with the Empress herself, but as discussed last time, the Empress is a kid in a candy store. She is too excitable and used to getting her way, so she has Victory fight her guards out of interest in Victory’s strength.
When it is over she treats it like it was no big deal and hops right to the next thing for her and Victory to do. This is the funniest shore leave activity of the bunch but also the most menacing because of what it implies. The Empress just doesn’t care, everything is a toy to her, a very childlike view of the world and not one fit for leadership.
Meanwhile, Pusher just does her job off duty, volunteering at the local hospital. This is a great insight into how she takes all the responsibility on her shoulders and can never rest, something her friend and fellow doctor suggest she see a psychiatrist about. Pusher is an addict in a way but it’s an addiction harder to conceive of than the more conventional ones. And Hap is making a new connection with a fellow intellectual and acting like an overexcited schoolgirl, something unexpected from a tough-as-nails military person like her.
Crazy Jo as seen last issue was having fun drinking, fighting, and sleeping around, but in The Forged #5, she is mainly focused on Harpo and her stuff. Harpo is at the local target practicing range for seemingly the same reason Pusher is at the hospital, she is always on duty. That is until Crazy Jo sees right through her and figures out that Harpo is attracted to the owner of the range so is going there to interact with her.
All these little scenes add up to paint a bigger picture. For three issues we learned about the Scimitar-3 team through a high-stress, heavy-on-action series of events. Last issue we expanded the view beyond them to look at the larger context. Now in The Forged #5, we narrow that view back down to the team and get to see them at their most normal. This is very well-paced from a storytelling point of view by Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann.
Body Language In The Forged #5
Mike Henderson needs to be commended especially for The Forged #5. While the previous issues he has done magnificently, it’s here that his expressive and exaggerated character designs really shine. And this is seen no more clearly than how he portrays Harpo in The Forged #5.
Harpo doesn’t talk. It has been left as a mystery if this is a religious vow of silence or some other factor, but her dossier on the back matter confirmed it wasn’t a medical issue. While her robot assistant can talk for her, she tries to keep even that at a bare minimum.
So now we have Harpo in a situation we have all had at some point in our lives: asking someone we find attractive out on a date. She even gets advice from her friend about this situation. But the entire time she still doesn’t speak.
Instead, Mike Henderson uses his excellently exaggerated body proportions to his advantage and really brings to bare body language as Harpo’s form of communication. At the end of the issue, Harpo may do the classic pointing and miming to get her point across fully, but the reader can tell all of it just from the way Harpo’s face looks or the way her body posture is constructed. It is great and very subtle work from such a bombastic series.
A Much Needed Rest…
The Forged #5 is all about character. It might be a pulp action series in the vein of Heavy Metal, but underneath all the blood, guts, sex, and general crassness, are simply humans. For the audience this series no doubt has cultivated, this is a really interesting and brave choice.
