Written by: Jonathan Hickman & Nick Spencer
Art by: Mike Huddleston, Mike Del Mundo, Jerome Opeña
Coloring: Matt Hollingsworth
Lettering by: Rus Wooton
Cover by: Mike del Mundo & Mike Huddleston
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Summary:
You’re hit with lush colors on the first page of this issue, as this story jumps right into the lore from the first few pages. A man is reading a bedtime story to his child about the origin of the three moons, which are split into three provinces: Akva, Fayrii, and Therra.
Akva is green and lush, while Fayrii resembles a fiery planet that is cognizant of Mars; Therra has twin moons that orbit it. The first half of this issue ends as the man tucks his son to bed and the son asks him when he will be back. He tells his son that they have to go on a mission to the “academy ruins”, which is hinted at as something horrific has happened on the mission, as the last words echoed are that he never returns home to his son.
The man’s name is Tajo, and he travels with a group of excavators that are on a mission to explore the deeper ruins of the gods, which were mentioned previously during the bedtime story. One of the excavators is swallowed by a creature that reveals itself after the excavator decides to take his helmet off to breathe. Later on, the creatures examine the body of Tajo while he’s falling in free fall, and the son is filled with a download of a foreign language.
One thing I appreciate that’s added in this issue are supplementary pages that have data files of the different characters and their backgrounds and motives. Reading these pages, we find out that the institute has hired these excavators to discover and disprove old magik that is drawn from the fables of gods.
The issue ends with the three creatures, named the three mages, discovering Tajo and leading him further into the planet called Kaoso, for more discovery. I think readers will fall in love with the colors and the sleek design overall of this book. Lovers of Sci-Fi will love this book.
Overall: 8/10
India Williams is a comic writer and reviewer based in Florida. She is a lifelong comics fan, with favorites including Thor, Conan, G.I. Joe, and Speed Racer. When she’s not writing comics or reviewing them, she enjoys toy photography.
