Aftershock Comics 2017
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by Eric Gapstur
Coloured by Rob Schwager
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
One day, the animals woke up. They started thinking. They started talking. They started taking revenge. Now, they've started building. In a city by the sea, a new power is on the rise...and they're making an animal kingdom all their own.
I am in love with this world that Marguerite has created. Humans are no long on top of the food chain now every living creature has the wherewithal to use reason, think for themselves and to decide what they wish to do with their lives. The animals rebelled and attacked in revenge and some decided to take over a city and make it their home. We were introduced to them in the main series so now we get to see Wintermute and Adam as they strive to make the best the city can be for humans and their, mandatory, companions.
With Makala, Charlie and his usual companion Keekirikee are all present and accounted for. I like the idea of having a series just focusing on this city. It really is a totally different take on than we see with the main book. That alone gives us the opportunity to really get to see how the animals react to trying to humanise their environment and themselves. With what we’ve seen Wintermute isn’t very well liked for the rules she’s put in place and you can them splintering into different groups of either support or anger.
The sea isn’t much different from land though it does surprise me to see the Dolphins, whom we believe to be incredibly intelligent creatures, being so militant and somewhat evil as they are trying to wage war with those in the city. Though I do have to say it is another element we’re seeing where not all animals suppress their natural instincts and urges. So seeing what they are capable of does indeed make them an incredibly viable threat. Speaking of threats there’s also the human’s encroaching upon the city as well. It would seem they are trapped inside the city with nowhere else to go that doesn’t pose a threat to them.
Eric does a wonderful job on the interiors here. His eye for storytelling is really impressive as we see through the page layouts with their angles and perspective demonstrate. The fact that backgrounds are utilised as much as they are makes me a happy camper because they really do a lot to flesh out the scenes. While attention to detail could be used more on the animals as whole, they should more like their species but this interpretation passes and the people are done very well here.
The turn of events that we see unfolding here are exactly the kind of stuff that makes Marguerite live up to her twitter handle, evilmargueritte. It is delicious and interesting and full of that which captures the imagination beautifully. To see the animals rebel against their captivity and then find themselves in an almost similar spot by their own hand is something that’s unexpected and yet seems completely unavoidable at the same time.
This world is strange, new and daring in it’s breadth and scope of what Marguerite has brought us. The power of storytelling is a marvellous thing and when its done at a level like this it really makes a stunning impact on me as a reader.