Surviving Nuclear Attack #3
Storm King Productions 2019
Written by Joe Harris
Illustrated by Cat Staggs
Lettered by Janice Chiang
Over sixty years ago, the Archonite Initiative studied the effects of stress and loss upon potential survivors of a nuclear war. Underground, in the dark, and believing they could well be the last humans left alive, the Kutter Family would experience sensory manipulation and divisions in their ranks which would eventually tear them apart. But as the manipulations and machinations of this supposedly abandoned Cold War-era simulator are revealed, Donnie, Keith and the others begin to lose their patience, their minds and their lives.
I don't know what it is about this book that has me so crazy for it but I'll be damned if Joe isn't spinning one of the best slow burn horror thrillers that I've ever seen. Now I don't know if there is something or someone dark and twisted that is still living within this bunker or if it is simply just the computer having an artificial intelligence but either way that it lured these guys in and then restarted a simulation that killed the Kutter family is horrific, creepy and the very thing that kept me glued to The Thing when I saw it in the theatre.
I love the way this is being told. Joe has a way of making the story & plot development and the character development feel like the same thing and as the pacing carries us through the book we begin to see more and more of the odd behaviour that in some way shape or form administered through the ventilation system. The sheer fact that as a reader my mind goes places and tries to find some logical explanation for what's happening means that Joe is doing a hell of a job here. Not only does the reader become engaged and invested in the story and the book but then they talk about it to their friends and family. We all know word of mouth is a very powerful tool.
I am really enjoying the opening flashback to the Kutter family in each issue. So what is up with Bobby and his wandering mind eh? He's a little cutie and his dad well seems a little too, shall we say tightly wound. While I wasn't expecting the Donna Reed family per se, however, I was expecting something along those lines.
The interior artwork here is spectacular. Cat's been amazing in her consistency of the characters and the bunker itself. The linework is beautifully done and there's a nice sense of strength to the lines. Then there is also this sense of realism that we see and it makes all the characters feel that much more human and not just characters. Donnie and Keith are guys I wouldn't mind being stranded with to tell the truth. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a stellar eye for storytelling. When we see the backgrounds being utilised they enhance the moments and bring this size and scope to the book that we need. This bunker was home to four people so its going to need space for all they need and seeing those items reinforces the idea of it. The colour work is sensational and whether it's the normal tones or the emergency green lighting the way that light sources are utilised to create shading and shadows is excellent. I do love the gradation we see in the colours and no matter where of what hues they are utilised in it's stunning work.
Finally something that I wasn't expecting to see and yet was hoping to see. Not accurate when I saw that happen I realised that it should have already happened and didn't realise I missed it until I saw it. So whatever roundabout way I am trying to say this it's a perfectly timed occurrence that may or may not be able to save those still alive. Because let's face it since entering the bunker their life spans have decreased dramatically.
This is captivating, mesmerising, engaging and beautifully delivered on ever single level imaginable and then some.