Dark Horse Comics 2016
Written by Eric Heisserer
Illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda
Coloured by Javier Mena
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
The only hope for mankind against a virus that turns the infected into mindless killers resides in the blood of a young girl, Daisy Ogami. Realizing that there are those who would co-opt the cure for their own gain, Daisy’s father assigned an android protector, Itto, to locate and deliver Daisy safely to a place where the cure will be given freely to the world. Having fought off numerous attackers, Itto and Daisy are nearly at the end of their journey. But there is still one enemy hot on their trail—another android who shares the same combat programming and unstoppable will as Itto . . .
What an incredible world Eric has created here. There’s so much we’ve been introduced to from the thrall, to the labs to the creations like Itto not to mention those pockets of government still left around the world that ready to be explored more. This has been so well done all around that i’m truly amazed by everything i’ve read and seen.
Itto is a great character and even though this issue what he and Daisy do, end their relationship of sorts it is the last issue after all, this cannot be the last we see of them. Personally the folks in Washington D.C. after having sent Fumetsu after Itto need to be dealt with after. Plus what they have planned can’t end here they don’t have the cure and apparently it’s a much higher commodity than using that memory serum or waiting for the thralls to burn themselves out.
Speaking of which it’s kind of odd that the thralls, see zombies, haven’t burned themselves out. I mean I think we need to see more of them and learn how this problem really became as widespread as it did. The first issue when we saw them it was exciting and scary and left a huge impression on me. For that matter the entire journey Itto and Daisy have taken has left a huge impression on me. There has been so much incredible characterization going on here and with so much left open ended it really does set the stage for something else to follow.
Miguel and Javier have done as equally impressive work if not more so on the interiors. The work is so clean, crisp and detailed it is such a pleasure to look at. Plus Miguel’s eye for storyboarding and where he wants your focus to go is impeccable. With the amount of detail and colour in moments like when Itto’s plane is hit make moments in this series that really makes you sit up and take notice. Never count out the importance of backgrounds, or lack thereof to really highlight where they are and what’s happening emotionally. The start lab surroundings with the scientists really gives that cold emotionally challenged feel to contrast the vivid outdoors.
This series is utterly amazing. The homage to it’s origin and its updated take on the subject matter make this a franchise that Dark Horse needs to keep bringing us.