Six weeks after Simone left us with the cliffhanger, this Wednesday we get issue four of Surviving Megalopolis. Is it good?
Leaving Megalopolis: Surviving Megalopolis (Dark Horse Comics)
This issue is yet another progression of the various storylines taking place currently and features the underlying court case manuscript which, this issue reveals, takes place after the attempted rescue mission that ominously ends with “a lot of people dead.” I just wish we could see that kind of action right now. Considering this is the fourth issue of this apocalyptic action/horror series, the “fast-paced” plot has consisted of threatening dialogue, a few deaths, and a wolf chase scene. The best parts of the series, for me personally, have only been alluded to; e.g. Overlord’s true allegiance, the state of Megalopolis’ original villains, the reason for the court hearing, why the heroes turned in the first place, and what’s at the bottom of this hole? After four issues I’m expecting something more from the series.
For those of you also hoping for a continuation of any of those aforementioned themes, we do get a taste of Overlord and, well, something at the bottom of the hole. By the end of this issue all the storylines have been built up as much as possible without exemplifying all out chaos. Both the rescue team and Sourthern Belle witness the new dynamic duo—the Crimson Shadow and “Oriole”—in action and neither party likes it one bit. Meanwhile, the cave-diving couple finally hits bottom and (after having a quite ridiculous conversation with someone who should have been very dead after being hurled from the top of the hole) make their first discovery within the hole’s depths. Unfortunately, this discovery comes off as a bit anti-climactic, though it appears the cave has more to offer the explorers than just this first instance. This definitely serves as a setup issue which usually proceeds finales, but at this point I’ve grown tired of all the buildup.
Calafiore is still on point with his artwork and we get a two-page spread and a full page illustration along with some gory and blood splattered panels which are sure to put a smile on any reader’s face. Simone’s writing however, which is usually quite engaging, hasn’t impacted me at any point during this run and I’m left growing tired of the flashy scenes with no weight behind them. I doubt even the readers who read Leaving Megalopolis are invested in this run and even though I was high on this series in the first three reviews, the lack of action has my interest waning.
Is It Good?
Calafiore’s artwork is carrying the series. At this point within Leaving Megalopolis I was much more invested. What started out as an action-packed series has slowly become a lackluster chain of events. I’m expecting major shit to go down in the next issue; I hope I’m not wrong.
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