Visionary and richly imagined, No. 5 Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto paints a dystopian future where Earth is now mostly desert and an elite group of engineered superhumans called the Rainbow Brigade acts as international peacekeepers. However, when a member of their group, No. 5, goes rogue and runs off with a mysterious woman, the other members try to hunt him down. I think I need to start off by saying, this is not a straightforward read. This is a surreal, phantasmagorical fever dream. I found myself having to reread the first volume multiple times for me to start piecing the story together and to figure out what the heck I just read, but the payoff is profoundly rewarding. Matsumoto poignantly dives into heavy themes like climate change, human nature, and social responsibility. It’s a tad early for me to gauge, but I have a feeling that we have a who watches the watchmen sort of deal on our hands. To top it off, the artwork is dripping with atmosphere and charm. The psychedelic, almos...