If the entirety of The Rush could be summed up in two words, I think that “poor Nettie” would be most succinct. More than it has been a story of madness and greed and monsters in the frozen northern wastes, The Rush has become a chronicle of one woman’s grueling odyssey into perdition. It really just never ends for Nettie, and despite her insistence to power through the absolute worst that an insane world full of walking nightmares can throw at her it seems events are shaping up to possibly take our poor heroine down.
I’m not a believer that every story has to have a happy ending. They do not. Every story simple requires the ending it deserves, and the more I think about it, especially given the events of the fifth and most recent chapter of The Rush, I’ve begun to wonder if it won’t all end in tragedy. At least, I’m doubting whether it’ll end any other way, if it could possibly end any other way. Spurrier is too savvy a writer to pull that kind of bait and switch, especially in a story that has so consistently nailed its tone and so effectively crafted its atmosphere. The world in which The Rush takes place is a grim and heartless one, the narrative that weaves through its pages one of loss and tribulation, and here in this most recent chapter we see that more clearly than ever.
One of the more remarkable things I’ve noticed throughout my time poring over The Rush is how with every issue the art is elevated, and I’m not sure if it’s something that’s actually happening or if it’s simply a phenomenon brought on by my growing fascination with it. Either way, Nathan Gooden is quickly rocketing up my list of artists to keep an eye on in the future. The book wouldn’t be what it is without his contributions, and in that regard, Addison Duke’s colors and textures add profound layers and depth to the visuals. It’s rare that an original series comes out of nowhere like The Rush has and manages to be so singularly well crafted, for the team to be so utterly on point with each other.
In The Rush #5 it feels like The Rush is careening headlong to some kind of horrific climax. It’s a glorious, beautiful inferno screaming down the rails and I cannot look away. It’s heading towards a collision that will leave tragedy and wreckage in its wake and I am completely engrossed in it. There’s no denying that with this issue, The Rush #5 has easily earned five stars and become a strong contender for one of the best series of the year.
