When it comes to the complete annihilation of the human race as we know it — a super disease destroying humanity is a scary and realistic possibility. Seems like every week we hear about how some disease is antibiotic resistant and the thought of something like that wiping people off the face of the planet from the inside out is frightening. Image Comics’ latest series called Evolution, deals with that frightening premise: is it good?
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
Human evolution has taken millions of years to get to this stage. But next week, we become something new. Around the world, humanity is undergoing rapid and unpredictable changes, and only three individuals seem to notice that their world is being reborn. But what can they do about it? Skybound unites writers JAMES ASMUS, JOSEPH KEATINGE, CHRISTOPHER SEBELA & JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and artists JOE INFURNARI & JORDAN BOYD to create a new global phenomenon in this oversized debut issue.
Why does this matter?
This is a Skybound comic written by James Asmus, Joseph Keatinge, Christopher Sebela, and Joshua Williamson. Let those names sink in because between them the horror cred is high. Add in Joe Infurnari on art, who has a unique style that’s somewhat sketchy and aged and you have a recipe for a pulse pounding and freaky comic.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Just a normal doctor. Yep.
This comic manages a few different story threads rather well and they all work concurrently towards a dramatic twist that isn’t immediately obvious. The creative team makes you believe there’s some sort of pandemic on the rise only to pull the rug out from under you to reveal there’s a lot more to it than that. Along the way, you meet a morally suspect doctor who may be the first line of defense for all humanity, a crackpot rich guy who has an interest in strange films, a nun in Rome who encounters something very strange, and a woman who is offloading her parents’ things after they passed away. When you look at each of these plots they aren’t very connected, but somehow, through the plotting and reveals of each there’s a cohesion that’s impressive. It’d be interesting to see if each writer was in charge of each portion or if they work on everything together.
This is also a slow boil story so it’s in the details that you’ll find the most enjoyment. There’s a mystery afoot too, which is spurred on by the first scene set during “then”. There are a lot of moving pieces here and yet they come together to make a very tantalizing story.
The art is quite good with a sketchiness to the imagery that’s somehow unnerving even in the quieter scenes. Infurnari draws some gross-out stuff here that gore fans will delight in. Jordan Boyd’s colors add a nice layering to the art too, like in a scene with the girl boxing things Boyd uses purple to shade characters which draws your eye nicely. The layouts are also quite playful mixing things up and even using a lightning bolt like zigzag to enhance a dramatic beat late in the issue.
What did you see, what did you see?!
It can’t be perfect can it?
This is slow boil mystery at its finest. Don’t expect a lot of action or a fast pace. The main joy in reading this is focused on unpacking what is going on and connecting the dots. If that’s not your cup of tea this may be too slow for you.
Is It Good?
Evolution is a compelling new series that approaches a very scary topic with a slow boil mystery that’ll draw you in. It’s a page turner for sure.
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