Emma Withington reviews Mars Attacks: Occupation #5…
‘The Martians came. The Martians saw. The Martians conquered. Now the space invaders cruelly rule over humanity, but Ruby Johnson has something to say about that…’
SEE ALSO: Check out a preview of Mars Attacks: Occupation #5
Supreme Overseer Zar failed to kill Ruby Johnson, thanks to a bit of subterfuge by the human rebel force: Novas Vira…Including Grady Rizzo! Supreme Overseer Zar saw Ruby’s execution with his own googly eyeballs and, as he sees it, the martian future is bright. Martian High Command are not convinced – why? Instead of Zar’s favourite film, ‘Ruby Johnson’s Execution’, playing on an eternal loop to disparage the human race – a message of hope from Ruby, alive and well, is being broadcast across all sectors sparking a human revolution…
Zar has been humiliated and disgraced, but it’s not over yet. He has never hated a human as much as he does Ruby Johnson and he will have his revenge…
For the last twenty years A.I (after invasion) the martians have been reconstructing earth in Mars’ own image, to better suit their needs – bubble-head isn’t their preferred look, apparently. They built Terraforming facilities which will eventually make earth uninhabitable for humans, once the enslaved population have served their purpose of course.
Supreme Overseer Zar is overconfident and runs the risk of sounding like an infomercial, as he swans on up to Martian High Command. He most likely expects a promotion for his efforts in eliminating ‘The Agitator’, Ruby Johnson. Instead he is summarily dismissed by Martian High Command. Ruby lives and the human revolution begins…Zar has failed.
As he is being escorted – dragged – off of the premises, Zar tries in vain to be heard. What the martians are about to face is much bigger than Ruby Johnson alone. He can see that now…but it’s too late.
Mars Attacks: Occupation #5 presents a satisfying conclusion to this miniseries, but it feels a little bit anticlimactic after the action that graced our pages in the arena earlier on in the series. The way in which loose ends are tied up in Mars Attacks: Occupation #5 make logical sense, but fall short dramatically with a much broader set of results. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but here it feels a bit incongruous, following some of the wonderfully absurd scenarios we have witnessed over the past few months.
Mars Attacks: Occupation #5 turns a fair portion of its focus away from our protagonist Ruby, whose legend has been written in the previous issues. In this issue, it is no longer Ruby’s tale, but our own. She becomes an icon, ‘the face of our fight‘; a pebble, creating a great ripple through history. Ruby, sets off a chain of events which ensure that the human race never allow themselves to become occupied by the martian forces again. An enduring figure from the beginning of the revolution and through the ensuing wars, for generations to come. Maybe that’s why things seemed incongruous – because a part of the ending became somewhat plausible. A reflection of human history with…Aliens.
However, just when you think things are starting to make logical sense Mars Attacks: Occupation #5 flips back to the outlandish and fabulously far-fetched in an excellent epilogue, in which Zar gets his comeuppance in an unexpectedly ingenious way. These final panels were the highlight of the issue – coming full circle back to the Mars Attacks we know and love with black humour and a hint of Burtonesque flair.
Mars Attacks: Occupation has been an enjoyable romp of a miniseries. It’s clear that the team (John Layman, Andy Kuhn, and Jason Lewis) have had a lot of fun with Mars Attacks: Occupation and while the climax may not have been quite the martian beat ’em up, as far as Ruby is concerned, is fitting. The team also succeeded in creating a solid female protagonist without using clichés as to why she’s a strong character, which is still a rarity.
So there you have it – the final issue of Mars Attacks: Occupation. Was it worth it? I can’t deny it. I have been thoroughly entertained throughout – not on a groundbreaking or mind blowing level, but enough for me to recommend it as a light, enjoyable, and darkly humourous read.
Rating: 7.5/10
Emma Withington – Follow me on Twitter
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Originally published August 18, 2016. Updated November 14, 2019.
