Cryptids seem to be all the rage these days, but what about new ones? That’s something Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard are developing in Of the Earth, the new Image Comics miniseries about an oil monster set in Texas. Of the Earth #3 is out this week, further showing the repercussions of interacting with the creature known as the Wildcatter, as Tabby and Thomas try to make sense of the chaos around them.
Of the Earth #3 opens with Thomas, a worker for an oil company, putting a fellow worker in bed. He’s shivering and sweating, able to say only “Ffff” and nothing else. He saw something, and he’s simply gone, mentally. Thomas knows all about oil, and can’t fathom what did this to him. Was it radiation? While the reader knows a monster lurks, our characters are still trying to rationalize what is happening.
A truly frightening aspect of this issue is Tabby’s grandmother, who remains as stiff as a board, saying “Ffff” like the man they just rescued. In a key scene, Tabby tries to connect with her, only to be scratched viciously. She’s clearly not herself, and it’s unclear whether it was fear that made her act violently or something else.
What did he see!?
Credit: Image
Meanwhile, the money Tabby stole reenters the story when Thomas notices cash peeking out of her bag. Condon is great at creating a push and pull here, and with other characters like the grandmother. These characters should be banding together, but can they really trust each other? Considering the oil monster, they should!
For fans of cryptids and monsters, this issue gives us the best look at the creature, and Adlard doesn’t disappoint. Its gaping maw and dark eyes evoke the freakishness of the T-1000 in Terminator 2. As with previous issues, Aldrad is great at pacing, keeping you invested and at full attention while our characters gather new information and their fear ramps up.
Now that the monster has made itself seen, the grandmother has fully gone into attack mode, and Tabby’s secret has been revealed, the series feels like it’s hitting its stride. At three issues in, it can feel a little late, but there’s no doubt issue #4 will be its strongest issue yet. It does make this and the previous issues feel a touch slow, but setting the scene is key in a horror story like this.
Of the Earth #3 marks an important turning point for the series as Chris Condon begins cashing in on the slow-burn tension established in earlier issues. Charlie Adlard delivers another eerie performance, bringing the Wildcatter to terrifying life while maintaining an atmosphere thick with uncertainty. The pace still leans deliberate, but the mounting danger, fractured relationships, and stronger horror elements suggest the series is poised for an explosive finish.
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