I was surprised to find how much anticipation I had before reading Lotus Land #4. I guess the creators – writer Darcy Van Poelgeest and artist Caio Filipe – really got me invested in their sci-fi noir mystery. The series, put out by BOOM! Studios, is colored by Patricio Delpeche with letters by Nate Piekos.
The truth of the matter is, I’m not sure that I can add much anything new about this latest issue that I haven’t already said in my reviews of the previous three issues. I’m not complaining – there’s something to be said for consistency, especially when a book is consistently good. Just forgive me if I end up repeating things from those previous reviews.
At this point, I think I understand the real mystery at the heart of Lotus Land. It’s not actually about the attempted sabotage of the enigmatic medical company, Evermore, that grants everyone in future Vancouver immortality. Nor is it about the murder – and subsequent resurrection – of the company’s owner, Mr. Heister. Although he’s mentioned in issue #4, neither he nor his company have appeared since issue #2.
The real heart of Lotus Land is the current whereabouts and lives of a group of ‘gifted’ individuals – people with supernatural powers. We’ve learned in previous issues that protagonist, Bennie Strikman, his estranged ex-wife and their son belong to this group. Well, we still don’t know if the child is actually theirs or what his deal is, but they treat him as a son. These relationships build the emotional foundation of Lotus Land. And I get the feeling the son has more to do with the overall mystery than we currently know.
Furthermore, the main plot follows Bennie investigating the disappearance and assumed drowning of a young girl, Shelly Waters, who also belongs to this group of ‘gifted’ persons. Also, this issue starts with Bennie visiting another ‘gifted’ individual, known as The Twin, at a cultish nightclub/church he runs.
For the most part, Lotus Land #4 explores the shadier side of the futuristic Vancouver and its culture. And the art by Caio Filipe and Patricio Delpeche drives this exploration.
The very first panel is a complete eye-catcher – a weird and whimsical outside shot of the cultish nightclub, Mind Scape. (And I think that’s a Stan Lee cameo in the second panel.) Once again, the influence of Mike Mignola on the art is hard to ignore. Again, that’s not a bad thing.
Later, we travel with Bennie to the really shady side of Vancouver, outside the utopian area of immortality. And it looks like a scene right out of Blade Runner as drawn in the style of Mignola. We see urbanization exaggerated to extremes. The whole block has split off from government or police control and is overrun by crime. It’s a fairly standard sci-fi noir trope, but it’s still interesting.
Here we find more direct critique of the perfect, utopian state of the immortal Vancouver. There is something more honest about the shady side of the city and how it looks. Just as it’s obvious that things are not really perfect in the utopian part of the city. The symbolism is obvious, even without the crime lord, Melina Ze, making honorable decisions.
Surprisingly, Lotus Land #4 doesn’t just introduce new settings, but also even more new characters. I already mentioned them – the creepy Twin and the ‘honorable’ crime lord Melina Ze. I found both characters very interesting, but suspect that they appear more as cameos than regulars. I don’t expect to see them have a major role in the rest of this miniseries.
Which just makes me wonder, because we’re in issue four of six. I feel like it may be time to focus more on the things that have already been introduced, rather than continuing to bring in new elements.
Finally, like all previous issues so far, Lotus Land #4 is a very slow burn. Darcy Van Poelgeest really stretches this mystery out as long and slow as possible. We find out one or two more clues about the missing Shelly Waters, but not enough of any real substance. And we also find more hints that not everything about Bennie, his ex-wife and his son is as it seems. But, unfortunately, also nothing really concrete.
So, as I’ve written in my previous reviews, Darcy Van Poelgeest continues to build the noir mystery in Lotus Land #4. The art by Caio Filipe with colors by Patricio Delpeche create exactly the right atmosphere. At this point, I’m invested, anxiously anticipating the next issue.
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