“Aus der Traum”
Translation: The Dream is Over
  – Graffiti writtenby German Soldiers after the battle of Berlin

“This is the end of the line, old friend.  I don’t have much time left.  I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave you in the city, breathing that stinking air, locked in a room, never getting a chance to run.  Really run.  You’ve been a good boy, Sam . . . Go be free.”
  – John Summer

With Issue #5 of Alterna’s moving series Wolves of Summer, writer Tony Keaton is pulling off the masterful trick of allowing each new issue to force the reader to reinterpret the previous ones, while simultaneously adding new light and still raising more questions.

After the brutal and bloody attack by the Wolf Pack in Issue #4, the survivors deal with their own demons as they take a hostage and plan for further glory in battle.

But, Death is still present, still lurking over all the characters, both in the past and the present (1971) as John Summer makes his way to Florida, casting aside all remnants of his former life as he prepares to meet his fate, and we learn the source and destination of his journey.

Intertwined with his current journey, we see the end of another journey, back at the end of the war, as the Kruger brothers both revel and despair in their victory over an Allied convoy and their trek thorough the wilderness with a captive American soldier.  Particularly unnerving is the presence of fellow soldier Hartschen, with one of the most chilling lines in the book and a possible clue as to where this intricate tale is headed.

From its blazing orange and red cover to the deceptively simple layouts inside, artist Andrew Herbst keeps the story moving fast and dramatic, with his pencil work and shadings adding even greater depth to an already engrossing story, capturing an elaborate range of emotions with just a few deft strokes and shadows.

With one issue to go, I wish I could say I knew how it was going to end, but with all the brilliant twists and turns given so far (including the final panel of this issue which blindsided me completely), it’s safe to say that it’s going to be both tragic and satisfying.  It’s going to be a long wait until February when it’s due out.  Until then, pick up the collected volume 1 and see what a great story you’ve been missing.

VERDICT:   FIVE Sad Choruses of Lili Marlene out of FIVE