Roots of Madness #5 – The Darkness and Stars Call

As the Meridian Fellowship pushes, Etta is forced to confront the dark forces in the world and within her own family’s legacy. Etta heads to the swamp to try and find the answers she so desperately seeks. What happens if the answers you seek are more than you bargained for? This is the heart of Roots of Madness #5

Creative Team

Writer: Stephanie Williams
Artist:Letizia Cadonici
Colorist: Alessandro Santoro
Letterer: AndWorld Design

Writing

How is it that Stephanie Williams is so phenomenal at everything she writes but still feels criminally underrated? Roots of Madness has been an absolute treat, and issue #5 is no exception. As Williams has done with so many other characters of both her own creation and with major IPs, Etta feels down-to-earth and relatable, even in a supernatural horror series.

Whether it is Etta’s conversations or Solomon’s care for her you truly feel connected to these characters. With issue 5, Williams begins to offer readers the payoff from pulling back the curtain on the Meridian Fellowship in issue 4. We begin to see how the Fellowship not only needed someone for their purpose, but specifically needed Etta. There’s a section of the story that really hits home when Williams discusses choice.

Art

Letizia Cadonici continues to shine with the illustrations for this book. Cadonici gets a chance to dabble in all different areas of art in this issue and really nails all of them. Whether it’s an extreme closeup, nature, or even Etta herself, Cadonici makes every illustration feel forboding, yet crisp and clean.

The shadows legitimately send a shiver down your spine in this issue every time they pop up in a panel. Alessandro Santoro does a beautiful job with colors. In a series set in the early 1900s, such as Roots of Madness, there can be some severe limitations on the palettes a color artist can use. For Santoro this is not an issue with the colors feeling thoughtful and purposeful without unnecessary flourish. Simple colors and tones match the time period for the narrative and serve to enhance Williams’ words and Cadonici’s lines.

Final Thoughts

Roots of Madness #5 is another slam dunk from this creative team. Williams, Cadonici, and Santoro give readers enough information to grow the narrative and tell more of Etta’s story without cutting the legs out from under issue #6. Issue #5 is satisfying in adding to the story we’ve been given, while giving you enough breadcrumbs to make you ready for issue #6 to drop tomorrow rather than having to wait. William’s ability to connect to a character regardless of genre is unmatched in the industry today and I can’t wait to see how this series winds down in issue #6.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Until next time, may your pulls be magical, and your multiverse remain stable

Did you enjoy Roots of Madness? Let me know in the comments below