After reading the best second issue of the year, Into The Unbeing: Part One returns for its third issue this week. A mix of body horror meets Magic School Bus; this new series is firing on all cylinders. A group of scientists have found an impossibility, a giant humanoid, and now they’re inside it to discover what it holds, but also escape it!
The adventure continues in Into The Unbeing: Part One #3, as three climate scientists continue to plumb the depths of a giant cadaver. Seemingly stuck, the only way out is down as they repel what looks like a giant sarcophagus lined with teeth. The issue picks up where we left off, and the danger levels only go up by the end of the issue.
This issue’s horror is upped thanks to the reveal that creatures are inside the giant. The series was already creepy due to the embiggening of familiar human insides, but now the characters have creepy crawlies to contend with.
If you’re afraid of heights and spikes, you’re going to have a bad time.
Credit: Dark Horsek Horse
The framing and focus of this issue are quite strong. The opening features one of the scientists working on a bug, pinning it to a board. Zac Thompson’s great captions draw our attention to their size, and they also carry the world on their backs. Cut to our main characters, as small as bugs inside a giant cadaver, and you can get the point. Another issue theme is the dead weight of one of the remaining scientists, which ties into the upping of the ante with the cliffhanger.
Hayden Sherman continues to dazzle with his impressive layout design and courage to try new things. At one point, you’ll need to turn the entire comic on its side to get the full picture. Page gutters made to look like bones are just one of many nice details that make this reading experience soar.
A new wrinkle in this issue is a flashback that helps define one of the main characters. That’s huge, as the series has felt a little one-sided in this ensemble cast. The scene also helps convey what the characters are going through as if they’re on a river that’s pushing their canoe too fast, and there is no way to escape danger and death.
I have a few gripes about this issue, although they may not be an issue for most. The “data page” doesn’t quite work like it did in the last issue. Also, the colors sometimes feel too muddy and dark for their own good.
Frankly, it’s a good thing this is “Part One” because I’d read 100 issues of this book if I could. Into The Unbeing: Part One is one of the most unique and terrifying horror comics of this century.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login