Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH podcast. On this edition, it’s time to take a trip back to Psiot City & see what one of the most powerful heroes in the Valiant Entertainment Universe is up to in the pages of The Harbinger! THE HARBINGER #5 by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING, ROBBI RODRIGUEZ, RICO RENZI & HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU continues on its’ strong re-introduction of Peter Stanchek. This is also following the news of Wes Ball being named as the director of the Harbinger movie project. There is a very big buzz about this character right now!

The first story arc has such an incredible trip with Peter finally answering the question: “Who Is Peter Stanchek?” along with becoming focused on making those around him “Be Better.” With the fallout of the last story still lingering, how is The Harbinger’s world now? Let’s check out the latest issue, shall we?

THE HARBINGER #5 - On sale FEBRUARY 23rd | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Written by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING
**Art by** ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
**Colors by** RICO RENZI
**Letters by** HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
**Cover A by** ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
**Cover B by** ISAAC GOODHART (Featured Here)
**Pre-order Connecting Cover by** IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA
Credit: Valiant Entertainment

*** POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING ***

Valiant does a great job with the recap opening page. Nobody does this better than Valiant. There is absolutely no excuse for a new reader to not try an issue from them.

The Renegade, the “evil” half of Peter, has been running around awakening new Psiots since we last saw him. There is a particular type of person he’s looking to activate. The only one capable of responding to this is The Harbinger. As this issue progresses, readers see that the Harbinger is stopping these threats as much as he can. It all comes to a head as a monstrous being (featured on the main cover & promo art here) tries tearing apart the city. Readers are going to really enjoy this battle & the twist end to it.

All the while, Peter is still struggling to cope with the fallout from the initial run-in with the Renegade. Even with his closest allies trying to help, it’s still Peter vs. himself. This all comes to a crashing halt when an old friend makes her return into Peter’s life. Readers will also get a great introduction of the next threat to our hero’s plan to make everything “be Better.”

Kelly & Lanzing deliver on diving into the complexity of Peter Stanchek. The character has never been more interesting. When pushed to challenge his “other half”, Peter really wears his emotions on his sleeve. His ideals are not going to be easily achieved. The writing team shows how much he is challenged to “be Better” himself. They also did a fun introduction for the cameo who stopped by. Kelly & Lanzing have made is book a must-read each issue.

Rodriguez has made Psiot City into an incredible visual to see each month as well. The visuals for the “Non Kaiju Zone” were great and amplified the fight. Even with the quieter moments of Peter talking with his allies, Rodriguez makes the most out of them. This really shines with his interaction with CiCi. The panel breakdown set up Peter’s feelings of doubt to where the readers fully feel what he’s going thru. The next story starts off on a very strong note.

The Harbinger #5 continues to be one of the best comics on the LCS. The creative team is kicking into high gear. Their portrayal of Peter Stanchek has been something special. New readers can jump on board easily & get caught up in the quality of this book. It’s a highly emotional and energetic ride that readers want to get on board now. They won’t be disappointed.

Hit me up on Twitter & let me know what you think of The Harbinger #5. As always, thanks for reading.

THE HARBINGER #5 (VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT)

Ken M