“It all starts with you, son. Not the man you’ll become, but the man you choose to be. No one’s going to hand these things to you. You have to earn them. And until then, one of the hardest things to realise is that nobody owes you anything. You can be anyone — anything — you want to be, son. You can have the world. All you have to do is remember these things…all the things I haven’t done.” – Jax Teller
Sons of Anarchy was one of my favourite series, and I’m continuing to delve into the world through reviewing the comics. Sons of Anarchy: Volume 5, written by Ryan Ferrier and drawn by Matias Bergara, is a standalone story that involves a new prospect joining the club. Dillon is the nephew of Bobby Munson and he seems like a good addition to the Sons to begin with. However, things quickly go wrong and Jax is forced to make a hard decision.
The story opens with Dillon being made a prospect and Juice becoming his sponsor. Meanwhile, SAMCRO are set to meet a powerful associate of The Mayans MC called Cassandra Wolfe. During a meeting at the Mayans’ clubhouse, Dillon picks a fight with a Mayan and steals a bag full of drugs that belong to Wolfe. This causes tension between SAMCRO and The Mayans as they try and figure out who is responsible.
The next day, Dillon brags to the others about what he did and he’s kicked out of the club. After being disgraced, Dillon goes back to an old crew and convinces them to steal from the SOA clubhouse. They make it look like retaliation from the Mayans and kidnap Lyla.
Things escalate as Jax and Alvarez try to work out if they are being manipulated by each other. Cassandra Wolfe comes back into the picture when the Sons attack her drug shipment, leading to a confrontation of epic proportions. After a violent struggle, Lyla is rescued and SAMCRO and The Mayans come to an agreement.
Soon enough, Dillon’s schemes catch up to him and he’s forced to face up to what he’s done. In the most brutal scene of the graphic novel, Jax has Happy carve an SOA logo into Dillon’s back with a knife. He’s handed over to the Mayans and they kill him in cold blood.
Ferrier is skilled at getting into the headspace of his characters. From start to finish it felt like I was reading an unreleased script from the show. The volume has the same Shakespearean undertones as the rest of the series, blending brutality and tragedy together. Of all the volumes I’ve read, this is my favourite.
Sons of Anarchy: Volume 5 can be purchased on Amazon.
