Image Comics 2016
Created & Written by Joe Harris
Created & Illustrated by Martin Morazzo
Coloured by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lettered by Michael David Thomas
THE WHITE WIZARD has tracked his missing daughter, CHLOE to Saved New York City. But the Cooperative has tracked them too, and if he’s to finally bring his weather war to Hazeltyne’s doorstep, he’ll have to find the stolen Formulary before they do......and he’ll destroy everything, and everyone, in his path to do so.
This truly is one of the most bizarre, unique and intriguing series i’ve been having the pleasure to read. We all know the power weather has to be a destructive force but what the boys are doing here with just snow, ice and cold goes beyond anything I could have imagined. As Joe weaves in the past to with the present to showcase motives and reasoning behind actions after things pretty much fell apart keeps moving things in this direction of revenge that is captivating.
While i’m enjoying seeing the mass exodus of familiar cities thanks to the every changing landscape it’s really man’s attempt to control something he cannot or should not that is much more impactful on the reader. After all the “road to hell is paved with good intentions” ALWAYS holds true and when you work for a government and they treat you, your work as they are so oft to do well then it’s no wonder The White Wizard went to the extreme.
The characterization here is surprising to me. Not that it’s strong or excellently done no more in the way that the characters reveal sides to themselves that really kind of shock you. No man is an Island, yes i’m full of proverbial phrases today but in all honesty they absolutely fit with what’s happening here and that too is a unique take away from reading this, and yet the White Wizard’s choices in those whom he lets help him well it’s disturbing to say the least. Also it’s damn fascinating as we see the man he’s become unfold more and more.
Poor Davitika, yeah i’m feeling sorry for her this issue. She’s been a good and dedicated soldier (Prime Level Assessor) for them and the way she’s used, see treated, this issue has got to be a turning point for her moving forward. Though I’m more than a little surprised there’s as much humanity in her as we’ve been getting glimpses of thanks to what Martin provides us visually this issue.
Speaking of Martin’s work is exemplary! The way this book flows through it’s pages and panels, the use of the backgrounds, the angles and perspective he uses all are done to make a maximum impact and have this utterly graceful feel to them. He has fleshed out this new reality in ways few others can so you feel the lack of hope and the oppressive control from the Cooperative States of America oozing off his pages.
This series will sneak up on you literally. At first you’re intrigued, enjoying it since it’s different and interesting and then suddenly you are so engrossed and near obsessed with finding out what’s going to happen and what has happened you sit back and think when did that happen? This is the kind of story that would make a good sci-fi series.