The first issue does something which often riles me; it's fine having one character declaiming a revolutionary sermon on history (especially if that character is a Pallas cat), but once it becomes a relay race, I start to find it didactic and implausible. Here, though, it serves to alert us that naturalism has been left behind. Which is necessary, because the subsequent story is a vision quest at the behest of a coven of snakes, who after all have a valid point: isn't magic as likely an explanation for animals suddenly gaining speech as anything else? Maybe likelier than most? It's trippy as blazes and I love it. Then, back to the main plot, with its story of a dog and his girl tugging my heartstrings as easily as ever.

Plus, a chicken with a gun!

Then the volume ends with a side-story about a lovelorn fish which is even stranger than standard Animosity.

Also - this is the first volume I've read with animals in the room, and it did leave me wondering: would an idiot dog still be an idiot after the Wake? I assume so, because it's not like there's any shortage of idiot humans.

(Netgalley ARC)

'Animosity Vol. 5' by Marguerite Bennett with art by Rafael de Latorre and Elton Tomasi continues the saga of a world where animals now have speech and have risen up against humans.

After the fall of the Walled City, the animals and women spend time discussing their lot in life and how oppressed they each are. Then Jesse gets lured by a group of snakes to take some venom and talk to God, only to find that God isn't there. A trip to an encampment puts everyone in danger, and the animals plan a celebration for Jesse only to have things go very wrong.

Not every collection of volumes can have a complete story arc, and after the events of the last book, I suppose I should have expected this. There is an awful lot of dialogue happening and it kind of crawled along for me. The art is still good, and there are glimpses of where the story might end. Read it because you enjoy the series, but know that it feels like a middle with some set up happening.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Aftershock Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Interesting but engaging suffering and the art in this book is too notch, I definitely recommend this one!