KISS #5
Written by Chris Ryall
Art by Wagner Reis
Colors by Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Letters by Shawn Lee
Edited by Tom Waltz
Covers by Sam Shearon, Jamal Igle & Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
IDW Publishing
Release Date: October 24, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

KISS #5 is a game changer. Seriously, folks. It takes the whole concept of KISS and turns it on its ear. Two words, kids: KISS GIRLS. That’s right, you wanted hot girls, you GOT hot girls! Not to mention The Phantom of the Park!

Writer Chris Ryall takes everyone’s “favorite” movie, KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park, and puts a WHOLE new spin on it. The basics are still there, like the evil Abner Devereaux and, of course, the amusement park. I can’t tell you what a refreshing change of pace this is, and Ryall proves with this issue that the sky truly IS the limit when it comes to this comic. So far, it’s been very enjoyable, going from different eras in time watching the group take on the henchmen of the evil Destroyer, but this issue he makes everything fresh and totally different. Don’t get me wrong, we all love the group, but it’s nice to get a total 180 once in awhile. This book is something that you’re going to want to read at least a couple of times – it’s that good – and you’re going to make sure that you don’t miss anything. Maybe it’s my love of KISS or my love of KISS Meets The Phantom of the Park movie (c’mon, it was fun), but I honestly can’t remember enjoying a comic this much in a long time.

The art by Wagner Reis is outstanding! He’s the perfect choice for this issue. He excels at drawing great-looking girls, monsters, and amusement parks. From first page to last, this art is a total home run. He’s got a great style, the page layouts are fantastic, and his storytelling ability is superb. You can totally follow the story without even reading the word balloons, and THAT is a mark of a great artist. His backgrounds are highly detailed and fun to look at as well. All around great art here in this issue!

I can’t recommend a comic as highly as I recommend this one. For real. Ryall and Reis are the perfect team for this story and I’d love to see them collaborate more on this series, or on a different series all together. But, back to this book: it’s a great jumping on point for new readers (as is every other issue, which is a fantastic maneuver by IDW), it’s highly entertaining, and not only will you be really excited for the next issue, you’ll want to dig out your copy of KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park and give it another watch.