Writer Matthew Rosenberg is launching a new comics series with about as good a title as What’s the Furthest Place From Here: We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us. Out March 26th, the new series is a mix of spy thriller, sci-fi mystery, and revenge rolled into one. Armed with the concise pencils of Stefano Landini, the first issue blew me away, feeling at once new, exciting, and an ode to an era of sci-fi we don’t see much of anymore.
We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us is a six-issue miniseries that follows 13-year-old Annalise. Her father is a mad scientist who may or may not be doing work to better the world. Right off the bat, we’re introduced to Annalise, who is playing hide and seek with rather advanced robots. She’s super smart but also super alone, with a father who is too interested in his work to be a dad.
Based on the solicitation, the world’s greatest spy will explode her life, and judging by this first issue, it will be a tricky business to make sense of how to live going forward.
If you’re a fan of psychological character work, you will love this series. Rosenberg is very good at exploring who these characters are through their interactions and the subversion of truth. Annalise isn’t in the know as far as her dead mother or what her father is up to. It’s up to the reader to figure out what is really going on, but all signs point to nefarious things.
The opening page.
Credit: Image Comics
Outside of learning who these characters are, this first issue features a solid conflict for Annalise to unpack. I won’t spoil it, but it puts a serious question mark on what is right and wrong.
The sci-fi is also quite cool. Landini draws Annalise’s robot buddies with a simple yet futuristic look. They each have different colors, with a matter-of-fact way of talking. Meanwhile, Annalise’s father’s lab is quite simplistic and bare. It’s like out of a cheap ’70s TV show, in a good way. Because Landini draws Annalise’s father like a sharply dressed James Bond type, one can see the connections to past media.
The layouts are also fantastic. Depending on the page, they vary in pace, slowing or quickening. The visual ideas behind the panel layouts will excite you.
If you’re familiar with letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, you’ll note that his Eisner Award-winning quality continues here. Note pages of Annalise’s captions add a personal feel. The robots have distinct word balloons, and the emphasis is strong. Even quieter speech gets smaller. The whole toolbox of Otsmane-Elhaou’s is on full display.
Sergei Titov’s use of colors also helps give the art a retro feel. Sometimes, the colors are stark, like purple for the ground, and you’ll notice a ’70s color palette. We’re talking warm oranges and lighter aqua blues.
If this sounds like a perfect comic, it’s because it’s pretty darn close. It has mystery, intrigue, and even a touch of action. If I were to gripe about anything, and it’s reaching, the main thrust of the rest of the series hasn’t technically started by the end of the issue.
Matthew Rosenberg and Stefano Landini have crafted a captivating debut issue with We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us, blending character-driven intrigue, retro sci-fi aesthetics, and tight artistic execution. While the main plot has yet to unfold fully, the strong foundation of compelling characters, top-tier artwork, and gripping atmosphere promises an exciting series ahead.
Is We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us the next great sci-fi thriller? You won’t believe how it pulls you in! Fans of classic sci-fi and psychological storytelling will find plenty to love here.
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