The Seasons #5 Review

 

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Paul Azaceta

Colorist: Matheus Lopes

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Paul Azaceta & Bengal

Designers: Harper Jaten & Erika Schnatz

Production Artist: Erika Schnatz

Editors: Gabe Dinger & Iván Brandon

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 25, 2025

 

Autumn sent Spring a letter, urging her youngest sister and Winter to flee New Gaulia. But Winter believes Spring is inventing stories about an evil carnival to amuse herself. Then she finds Spring cleaning up broken glass near the front door. All the letters and packages Spring should have delivered lay scattered across the floor. Winter worries that Spring’s fantasizing has taken a destructive turn. She appeals to the 14-year-old to stop inventing stories. But after securing Spring’s promise, Winter finds Spring with Autumn's broken hope chest. Her world-traveling sister's keepsakes are in disarray.

 

Winter decides Spring needs a firmer hand and resolves to send her to a boarding school. Besides, Winter needs to devote herself to her art. Will Winter carry out her threat? Or can Spring convince Winter to let her remain at home? Let's leap onto our scooters, ride into The Seasons #5, and find out!

 

Story

While Autumn traveled the world searching for their parents, Summer sailed to photo shoots and celebrity events on her yacht. Spring has every reason to be angry with Summer. The supermodel could have sent them money instead of forcing her younger sister to work to pay the mortgage and buy groceries. Yet when Spring hears on the radio that Summer is attending tonight's show, she leaps on her scooter and races down to the carnival. But Spring can't push through the crowd and can only watch as Winter enters the tent.

 

In The Seasons #5, one more pillar of Spring’s life crumbles when Summer leaves the tent holding a mirror before her eyes. Then Winter arrives on her motorcycle in one final attempt to convince Spring to see things from her perspective. Winter's unwillingness to embrace Spring's views forces the girl to a desperate act. Spring must brave the evil of the carnival alone. But then, as her parents once told her, “The only thing you can count on in this world is yourself.”

 

After Summer grabbed the spotlight in the last issue, Spring retakes command of Rick Remender’s story in The Seasons #5. Everyone in Spring’s life has let her down. No one in her family or New Gaulia wants her. The 14-year-old might have an easier journey if she acquiesced to Winter's decision and left to attend boarding school. But Spring braves the danger because, even if they don't care about her, she wants her family back. After seeing proof of how the carnival gains power by mesmerizing others, Spring wants to learn how to prevent this great evil from spreading across the world.

 

Art

Matheus Lopes shows yellow, green, purple, red, and blue streamers emerge from beneath the pink drapes hanging before the tent entrance. Spring raises her hands as they rise like levitating snakes. The 14-year-old girl leaps back, covering her face as they whirl around and snap at her. The pennants lining the entrance also shake. Searchlights surrounding the colorful tents project yellow beams into the green, blue, and black sky. 

 

In The Seasons #5, Paul Azeceta shows the sea surrounding New Gaulia. Boats rock in the bay and anchor by the pier. Shops and homes climb the steep hills facing the ocean. Summer may only have eyes for the cheering fans and the advertisements and theater marquee shouting her greatness. But when Winter roars up on her motorcycle, Spring grabs her fishbowl and stares down at Gilbert. Paul Azeceta hints at another reason for Winter's unhappiness as she rests a hand on Spring's shoulder. But Spring shrugs off her sister's gesture and runs into the darkness inside the tent.

 

Rus Wooton fills white and ivory balloons with uppercase black letters. The dialogue swells, grows bold, and rarely shrinks as Spring braves her beautiful nightmare in The Seasons #5. Sound effects help us hear Summer nearly get killed along the seawall and Spring have a great fall as the 14-year-old tries to put her family together again. Thanks to Image Comics and Giant Generator for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Seasons are a successful and talented family. Yet, their ambitions drive them apart. In their parents' absence, the sisters drift away from each other. As Spring strives to reclaim her family, The Seasons #5 evokes Albus Dumbledore's words about the Mirror of Erised.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.