Skybound/Image Comics 2014
Created & Written by Joshua Williamson
Created & Illustrated by Andrei Bressan
Coloured by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
Sometimes a series comes along that just clicks. It hits every note, every point is spot on it’s like catching lightning in a bottle and for me this is one of those series. From day one it’s been consistent and thrilling, adventurous and entertaining, deceptive and deadly. I’m as excited now as I was after reading that first issue full of promise and wonder of a new series and that’s something extraordinary to get.
Oh Mastema and her machinations will be her downfall yet, though not today. With Rya and Wendy her “guests” and unbeknownst to them Mikey her prisoner well she’s playing a very dangerous game. Not to mention she’s Lore’s daughter and well that alone is enough of a wild card variable in and of itself. Still the way she’s written and her continued evolution and characterisation make her one of the more intriguing characters in play right now.
Speaking of intriguing I love the fact that each issue has a flashback to Mikey’s growing up on Terrenos. This time with a Sharkmaiden, let’s call them cousins to our Mermaids shall we. I love that we get to see Andrei flex that creativity and imagination and bring these creatures to life for us.
Aaron is still dad of the year for me. He’s grown on me to a point where I wouldn’t have expected. There has to be some part of him that’s jealous and yet he’s supportive and loving of his children and the respect he shows them is admirable. The relationship with his father on the other hand while he’s resigned to what’s happened and he clearly doesn’t like it he also sees that they need him. Joshua has done such a marvelous job with making him such a real person who’s caught between his father and his sons all of whom have powers and destinies that he doesn’t a real role in but he’s making himself more valuable than anyone would give him credit for.
Andrei is amazing I can’t say that often or loud enough. The work he’s been delivering us time and time again has been so far above the bar he sets for himself. I mean his eye for storytelling is flawless, his use of page layouts through angles, perspective and backgrounds keep the eye where it needs to go while subconsciously we take in the larger picture. His creativity and imagination are astounding to me and i’m sorry but the sheer attention to detail that we get blows me away constantly.
I’ve said it before but every time it feels like we’re coming to a point in the story where it looks like the climax is coming it’s just a tease. Being edged time and again and it’s delicious because it keeps that tension built up and the anticipation level so high that each issue’s twists, turns and reveals make the eyes widen, the pulse race and leave you begging for more.