Dark Horse Comics 2015
Created, Written & Illustrated by Drew Edward Johnson
Coloured by Steve Dutro
The agents of MI:Omega transformed her into a monster killer, but she was already something else! What Matilda Finn discovers on her mission to Loch Ness threatens to shatter her connection to her team and to humanity!
How is it that this is the first time i’m learning about Drew Edward Johnson? In all the years i’ve been reading comics and last five in reviewing them I can’t believe this is my first exposure to such a talented man. For someone to weave such a fascinating story and to be able to illustrate it in such a detailed and amazing manner is one of the best things i’ve come across in quite some time. Taking cryptozoology and steampunk aspects to create a world where an organization like the Empire in finding, cataloging and capturing those things the world has forgotten or never knew existed is both the stuff of dreams and nightmares.
That we start off with two men who grew up together and who have very different outtakes on life was a brilliant way to showcase how a complicated friendship works as well as showing us science way ahead of it’s time. At first you think they are spelunking in a deep cavern where they come across a fantastic creature living deep underground. Here’s where the interior artwork really hammers home just what kind of vision Drew has and how he’s able to bring that to life with maximum impact upon the reader. They call this creature they encounter a Pixie and Arcturus thinks of it as a sentient being whereas his friend Kevin calls it an animal and you immediately see the difference in thinking and classifications here and there’s one thing that sticks out to me and if you read this you’ll see what I mean.
Move ahead to the present day where we meet Matlida Finn. Her boss has called her into the office, he has a job for her and while we hear her internal narration and begin to get a good sense of who she is it does set the stage for what’s to come and it’s interesting. You really need to see what happens here in the visuals to really appreciate what this organization is, how it operates and where it operates out of because it really is something special more than a tad surprising.
Arcturus is much older now and in charge of MI: Omega and Matilda’s boss. He’s called her because his old friend Kevin has disappeared while searching Loch Ness and he’s used his influence to get a party on scene to find him and his missing crew. Arcturus tells Matilda more about Kevin and their friendship and what kind of man he is and while sometimes they may find themselves at odds they have had beneficial experiences too. I can’t get over just how damn good the interiors are here to go along with the writing. I takes a lot to impress me this much and it’s happened here because I just can’t get over the imagination on display and the attention to detail he brings us.
Matilda’s on a rescue mission for Arcturus and undercover to boot but as we all know nothing is ever what it seems and this will be the adventure that changes Matilda’s life forever.
A unique story with stunning interiors that defy genre’s make this is a must read.