Writer Zac Thompson is back with new eco-horror this week with Dark Horse Comics’ Into the Unbeing Part One #1. Set in the year 2034, the ecosystem is screwed up but holding together. But when a research crew finds something truly spectacular, have they bitten off more than they can chew? It’s an excellent first issue that draws you into the wonderment of discovery with the unnerving feeling that even the amazing things could be a sign of utter horror around the corner.
Into the Unbeing Part One #1 opens with a beautifully framed page by Hayden Sherman showing a frog husk. Likely starved and very dead, the captions draw us into the main character’s point of view regarding mass extinction. Soon, we see a hawk on fire, and things go from bad to worse. It’s a rather haunting opening since it’s very much a possible future for us all, somewhat reminiscent of the nightmare in Terminator 2 of nuclear disaster.
The story cuts from this horrific nightmare to a science crew in Australia. We quickly get a sense of who they are before something pops up on a computer screen that wasn’t there before. A mountain range. It’s an unnerving scene, similar to something out of Aliens, as the scientists are on their own and seeing something that’s truly impossible.
The opening page is a beauty.
Credit: IDW
Captions can sometimes run on a bit too long, and while they create an absorbing vibe as we’re inside this character’s head, they slow the story down quite a bit. Maybe it’s my impatience for the crew to get going, but it takes two pages before they head out.
Once the crew heads out, the story gets very interesting. They discover a looming and unnerving visual in the distance and have more questions than answers. At this point, Thompson has seeded the story with tidbits of what this future is like, which makes whatever they find quite curious. Is it a natural thing due to meddling with the environment or some act from the devil down in Hell? At this stage, it could be anything that scratches an adventure itch.
As far as the crew, I was hoping to learn more about all them, especially since a bunch will likely die. This story is clearly a record of Hildur Johansson’s findings specifically, though, so it makes sense.
Sherman colors and draws the issue and delivers big time on the wow factor. The opening scene is curiously subdued, possibly because it’s a flashback, but once the main story kicks in, he uses brighter colors to make things pop. Striking blues or pinks help convey light. Some of the colors used for the foreign flora and fauna add an unreal look to them. The horror factor kicks into gear once the crew gets to the gaping maw of a mysterious cave. There’s an epic double-page splash that’ll have your mouth agape as you peruse its every inch. It’s beautiful stuff.
If you’re looking for an adventure comic that’ll wow you and tickle your amygdala, give Into the Unbeing Part One a shot. It blends eerie visuals in an absorbing adventure that just might make you think about our own doomed planet a bit more carefully.
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