Dark Horse Comics 2016
Written & Illustrated by Matt Kindt
Coloured by Sharlene Kindt
Lettered by Marie Enger
Time is running out. At the bottom of the ocean, the Dept. H base is flooding. Tensions are rising within the isolated crew. Trapped with her father’s murderer, will Mia be able to survive long enough to solve the mystery?
This is a fantastic issue as Mia remembers the past throughout all the drama that is the present Matt brings us a look at this remarkable young woman. I have to say the pacing of this series is marvelous as it literally is one thing after another that seems to go against them threatening to kill them. The base was shook by something like an underwater Earthquake that damaged the bases structure. This doesn’t help Mia in her search for the person who killed her father as she’s got to rely upon these people, who’s she known most of her life, to stay alive long enough to find out who, if anyone, killed him.
I love the tension and drama that Matt is creating here. Everything that he puts Mia through is this utterly incredible test of will and strength of character. A lesser person might have already crumbled under the pressure but not Mia she was brought up by her father to think her way through these situations and was trained by one of the brightest minds ever known. She’s able to think on her feet, her reaction is admirable and the fact she can almost see a step ahead is something else.
As events in the present unfold and we learn what the symbol of the H actually stands for we see how much Mia loved her father and the lengths she’ll go so that even in death his dream isn’t shattered. She was raised by a man who took her into space exploration and the fact that those conditions are mimicked on the bottom of the ocean creating this simulation of outer space action/thriller/horror story is one of the most exciting things i’ve seen from Matt.
The interiors here are perfect for this story. Matt’s got that touch, creativity and imagination that few others possess. This is his baby and that he can not only write it but illustrate it so that we see exactly what he wants us to for maximum effect only heightens the experience of reading this story. The flow through the story with the page layouts, angles and backgrounds here really make this so much more powerful a story.
This is the kind of story that we as readers relish. It’s got all hallmarks of some classic film with the wide variety of characters, various motives provided and an exotic setting that presets it’s own challenges and obstacles. It’s also the kind of book you would love to see either on the big screen as a summer blockbuster or an animated feature using the latest in realistic animation to recreate the story.
This is who dunnit for the ages and so far we aren’t any closer to learning the truth and the real question can Mia discover the truth before time runs out?