Stronghold #3
Aftershock Comics 2019
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Ryan Kelly
Coloured by Dee Cunniffe
Lettered by Simon Bowland
When the last vestiges of normalcy are stripped from Michael Grey’s life, he is finally confronted by his past in the far-flung cosmos...and the enemies he made there. Can the Stronghold put the broken pieces of Grey’s life back together before the terrors he battled in the stars follow him to our fragile Earth?
When I was a teenager I found such a diverse range of comics when I found that companies like Dark Horse, Eclipse comics and others were making their way to me. Fast forward to now and with all the companies like Aftershock who are emerging as homes to such strong and interesting storytelling is making me as happy as I was as a kid. The diversity available through these outlets is amazing and with this book Phil has me going in a million directions all at once without Plastic Man’s ability to stretch!
So far as I have watched Michael’s journey, which granted is small, and it feels like this issue is that point of no return for him. With what we have learned I feel all of that can be thrown out the window with the events here. I adore that Phil just keeps putting us through the paces as we wonder if this is the same book we started. Phil has always been a writer to watch because he plays by his own rules and his mind is creative and innovative in so many ways. The way that this is structured is utterly phenomenal as it encompasses so many different angles that are happening simultaneously and all of them reveal something new.
So what is it about Michael that makes him so special, see unique? His utilisation of electronics is marvellous and while I don’t understand it there’s just something about seeing him with it that makes you want to know more. The sheer fact that everything we see wants to make us see more is exactly what needs to happen. The characterisation here is excellent and while so many are still shrouded in mystery and that not all are who or what they appear to be is making wanting to see them featured more almost an obsession. The pacing here is incredible that along with the whole story & plot development going on here could take this in numerous directions or none at all and I’d still be here like a dog wagging its tail.
Sweet Baby Jane I cannot get over how stellar the work from Ryan is here. The linework is gorgeous, crisp, clean and through the manipulation of its varying weights to coax out this beautiful attention to detail. The creativity and imagination here in creating these aliens or the overall look of what these people, see and wear is mindbogglingly good. The horror and the wonder in what we see just keeps getting better and better with each page. The composition in the panels and how they are full of detail in the backgrounds as well enhance the story in ways you don’t always think about. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off such an amazing eye for storytelling. The colour work is gorgeous, the way that light sources are utilised so that shading, shadows and colour gradation can be seen is great.
If you are looking for you outside the norm of what we consider a typical alien invasion then try again because the uniqueness and originality of what I am seeing here takes this to a level that no one can prepare themselves for. This far and away one of the best things Phil is writing and considering how prolific the man is and how he can branch out to write literally anything that’s saying a lot. With Ryan and Matt this book really is the epitome of exceptional.
Aftershock Comics 2019
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Ryan Kelly
Coloured by Dee Cunniffe
Lettered by Simon Bowland
When the last vestiges of normalcy are stripped from Michael Grey’s life, he is finally confronted by his past in the far-flung cosmos...and the enemies he made there. Can the Stronghold put the broken pieces of Grey’s life back together before the terrors he battled in the stars follow him to our fragile Earth?
When I was a teenager I found such a diverse range of comics when I found that companies like Dark Horse, Eclipse comics and others were making their way to me. Fast forward to now and with all the companies like Aftershock who are emerging as homes to such strong and interesting storytelling is making me as happy as I was as a kid. The diversity available through these outlets is amazing and with this book Phil has me going in a million directions all at once without Plastic Man’s ability to stretch!
So far as I have watched Michael’s journey, which granted is small, and it feels like this issue is that point of no return for him. With what we have learned I feel all of that can be thrown out the window with the events here. I adore that Phil just keeps putting us through the paces as we wonder if this is the same book we started. Phil has always been a writer to watch because he plays by his own rules and his mind is creative and innovative in so many ways. The way that this is structured is utterly phenomenal as it encompasses so many different angles that are happening simultaneously and all of them reveal something new.
So what is it about Michael that makes him so special, see unique? His utilisation of electronics is marvellous and while I don’t understand it there’s just something about seeing him with it that makes you want to know more. The sheer fact that everything we see wants to make us see more is exactly what needs to happen. The characterisation here is excellent and while so many are still shrouded in mystery and that not all are who or what they appear to be is making wanting to see them featured more almost an obsession. The pacing here is incredible that along with the whole story & plot development going on here could take this in numerous directions or none at all and I’d still be here like a dog wagging its tail.
Sweet Baby Jane I cannot get over how stellar the work from Ryan is here. The linework is gorgeous, crisp, clean and through the manipulation of its varying weights to coax out this beautiful attention to detail. The creativity and imagination here in creating these aliens or the overall look of what these people, see and wear is mindbogglingly good. The horror and the wonder in what we see just keeps getting better and better with each page. The composition in the panels and how they are full of detail in the backgrounds as well enhance the story in ways you don’t always think about. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off such an amazing eye for storytelling. The colour work is gorgeous, the way that light sources are utilised so that shading, shadows and colour gradation can be seen is great.
If you are looking for you outside the norm of what we consider a typical alien invasion then try again because the uniqueness and originality of what I am seeing here takes this to a level that no one can prepare themselves for. This far and away one of the best things Phil is writing and considering how prolific the man is and how he can branch out to write literally anything that’s saying a lot. With Ryan and Matt this book really is the epitome of exceptional.
RSS Feed
