Boom! Studios 2014
Created & Written by James Tynion IV
Created & Illustrated by Michael Dialynas
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
The final year of The Woods begins here, as our crew comes to terms with the fallout from the destruction of Bay Point.
Will they or won’t they that’s always been the question since day one. Return home that is. It’s been two years now since the school suddenly vanished off the map in Milwaukee, WI. leaving nothing more than an empty hole where the foundation was and we’ve wondered is this their life now? Well it’s the final year for the series that’s seen so many drastic changes and an evolution that has been remarkable to see and hopefully we’ll see what is decided by whom.
I like that we opened with the families remembering that night when the school disappeared. The annual vigil and one woman’s courage to say that the government has no clue what happened made her look like a crazy alien conspiracy lunatic. Though if she only knew the truth. It’s an interesting look at the parents of these children and seeing their hope or defeat over what’s happened.
Isaac Andrews and the ghost of Adrian Roth share access to a power that rules this planet. One that drove Adrian mad as it does most who wield it and ultimately lead to his death only Isaac seems to be handling and coping with it quite well. He’s been secreted away for a year now mastering it and getting ready for this next phase. One Adrian still wants to do with just the two of them though Isaac has a much different idea and knows this won’t work without the help of the others.
This is a slippery slope here it’s a one trip home they can’t go back if they decide life on Earth is the right place or not. They’ve all been changed so dramatically and while some miss their old lives with everything they’ve been through is there really a chance to go back? Not really but some will want to while others won’t so how is decided to do what? Hopefully that will be a majority of the characterisation and story for the year and seeing how the choices work out in the final few issues.
Michael’s interiors have been amazing to see and his own evolution and consistency in how he’s brought this book to life. The characters have grown and changed and evolved as the series has moved forward and so have the interiors. The myriad of cultures of introduced, the indigenous life we’ve been frighteningly introduced to it’s all been done with this superb eye for storytelling. The use of page layouts, angles and perspective the way the world comes to life in the backgrounds is an amazing journey to take.
I’m already waxing the end of the series and we’ve got a year to go still. If you haven’t read this or seen it through it’s many changes give the trades a shot, check em out of the library if you have to, see why I think so highly of James and Michael and what they’ve achieved with this series.