One hundred years ago the Earth underwent a tragedy of apocalyptic proportions. The climate changed, turning most of the land into a rocky bone dry desert, the seas were poisoned, entire species of animals were wiped out and the great cities of man destroyed. But still, in some form, humanity continued. Small towns spring up around surviving sources of fresh water, new religions clash in the few major cities that exist, and people must deal with the cannibalistic Sand Eaters as well as other creatures that have adapted and mutated to survive in the hostile terrain.
Enter Michael, a scavenger and wanderer who accidentally stumbles across something that might be the only clue to discovering the secret behind the apocalyptic event known as "The Big Wet" and it's connection to the mythical A-Ree-Yass-I.
Wasteland is the new post-apocalyptic monthly series from Oni Press. Created and written by Antony (Yuggoth Creatures, Queen and Country: Declassified vol 3) Johnston, with the talented Christopher (Q&C: Declassified vol 3) Mitten handling the art chores, and some lovely covers from Ben (30 Days of Night) Templesmith, this series looks to be the sleeper hit of the year and has been garnering praise from all corners of the comics industry. With the third issue hitting the shelves earlier today, and kicking off the first multi part story arc, I figured that now would be a good time to take a look at the first two issues of this fantastic series.
Possible Spoilers
The series starts off by introducing us to the main protagonist, Michael, as he stumbles across the remains of an encampment. Unfortunately for him two Sand Eaters, mutant cannibals of unknown origin, turn up and a fight ensues. After being wounded in the fight, and displaying some telekinetic abilities to boot, Michael grabs what he can and heads into a nearby town to engage in some trading. While there he meets Abi, the towns young sheriff type, and accidentally activates one of the items he scavenged from a corpse near the camp he found. The item, a small computer or palm pilot with an accompanying note attached, immediately it begins to spew forth an intelligible stream of words. Keen eyed Abi takes note of Michael's reaction and quickly pieces together a vague framework of his background. How? He recognized the language, as did she, and from this she figures that like her he has some sort of "gift" and no knowledge of his birth family.
She quickly pursues him and attempts to keep him around, but he takes off anyway only to succumb to his wounds a short while later. He awakens back in the town with Abi tending to his wounds via her healing "gift", and she subsequently puts her cards out onto the table. She knows he's got a "gift", that he recognized the language, and begins to read out the letter attached to the strange artifact. Sadly before she can finish it they're alerted to a large band of Sand Eaters approaching the town. Michael attempts to head off, but Abi gets him to stay and help in the towns defense by pointing out that he owes her.
The first issue is a hell of a way to start of the series. It opens and closes with two action scenes which bookend the story's hook. That being of course "What is the artifact and what does it have to do with the A-Ree-Yass-I and The Big Wet?" not to mention how it all ties into Abi and Michael's powers, if it does at all. The dialogue has a nice flow and feels natural, including bits and pieces of slang that developed over time, many of which allude to a greater culture. Instances of cursing the Sun and the Moon for example just hint at a religion and mythology that are expanded upon in the second issue. On top of that, Michael himself has a very distinct speech pattern which really helps to emphasize the isolated lifestyle that he's been living for so long. Short terse sentences which cut straight to the point, completely unlike this review, not to mention his signature laugh of "Hrr hrr hrr."
Christopher Mitten's art is fantastic and evocative as well. It manages to convey a large of amount of detail within the clothing and city, while at the same time maintaining a wonderfully open feel to it that helps hammer home the fact that the landscape is a barren and stark one. Empty backgrounds outside, which at first might seem almost cheap, serve to reinforce the fact that just about all animal and plant life has been wiped out, that even the clouds have apparently vanished from the earth. In short, it's the perfect art to help evoke the feeling and mood of being in a barren and hostile desert wasteland.
The second issue picks up immediately after the Sand Eaters attack as Abi attempts to move the survivors of the town to one of the few large cities around, that of Newbegin. Unfortunately for her Michael has decided that his debt is paid, and that he doesn't like Jakob one of Abi's friends, and heads off on his own. As the group of survivors make their way towards Newbegin we're treated to the Sunners origin story.
The Sunners are a religious group that's sprung up in the wake of The Big Wet and who worship the Sun and the Moon as a Goddess and God. It's an interesting story that not only gives us a look at the mythology of the world, but a possible glimpse as to the reality of The Big Wet. Falling stars, years of darkness, flooded cities, children of the Sun and Moon, all of it hints and offers possible explanations for the world. Could Abi and Michael be Children of the Moon? Are the falling stars nuclear weaponry? Or could it all be something else..?
Unfortunately for the group they face another attack in the middle of the night, this time from a pack of "wulfs".
While all this is going on we also get our first look at Newbegin and the human civilization that has sprung up. The city's blind leader awakens after a nightmare involving both Abi and Michael and the readers are quickly thrust into a political/religious feud that's brewing within Newbegin. The rulers of the city maintain a large class of slaves, who are all Sunners, while the ruling class seem to worship their deified blind leader known as The Lord Founder. Recently some desecration of The Lord Founders statues have occurred and all evidence points to a Sunner as the culprit. Heads must roll.. literally.
The second issue was a bit of a swerve, but a welcome one. The almost complete absence of Michael gives Johnston room to expand and explain the world a bit, while also setting up some rather major conflicts to come. With the religious tension building in Newbegin between the Sunners and, I don't know.. founders? How will the Founders react to the sudden arrival of nearly 70 refugees, all of whom are Sunners? Not to mention what will happen when the Lord Founder finally encounters the two people who haunt his nightmares. Also, it's nice to know that even after a world ending event, religious intolerance is still a problem. The more things change..
Mitten's art really shines here as he shifts into a different style for the Sunners creation tale, rendering such things as falling stars and ancient cities in a way that suggests cave paintings or something similar. He also does a fantastic job with the splash page that gives us our first glimpse of a post-Big Wet city. Nice stuff all around.
In addition to the main comic story, which is uninterrupted with the ads in the back by the way, each issue also includes a text piece entitled Walking the Dust: Stories from the New Earth, a fictional travelogue from an inhabitant of this world by the name of Ankya Ofsteen. Each piece helps to further flesh out the world of Wasteland and expands upon certain topics or cultural groups or ideas that appear in the issue. It's a nice way to further push along the story and also provide background material for the series, helping to give us a better grasp on the strange world that we've been dropped into.
In it's short time in print the series has been flying off the shelves and the positive word of mouth on the series seems be growing and growing each month. Johnston and Mitten are no slouches and clearly work amazingly well together but I don't think anyone really expected the series to take off quite as well as it has. The fact is though, that it deserves the praise and the sales because it's a damn good read and is easily my favorite new title of 2006. It's a weird, quirky and beautiful series that's worth the extra effort it might take to track it down.
Don't take my word for it though, read the first issue for yourself because it's up for free at the official web site. That's right, 44 pages for free. Go check it out in the links below.
In fact, that's not the only thing for free regarding the book. One of the really amazing things is how well Johnston and Oni have managed to use the web site to help promote it. Before the first issue hit the stands they had the first 22 pages of #1 online for free download in several formats. In addition to this the web site is loaded with character profiles, covers, sketches, AIM/LJ/message board icons, wallpapers, banners and even an MP3 theme song composed by Johnston himself. They've just recently added on a fan section which currently contains two pieces of fan art and.. an MP3 of a song inspired by the comic that a fan created. How's that for nifty?
Anywho, check all that out and more at the official site linked below.
Relevent links:
The Big Wet - The official Wasteland homepage contains, MP3's, character profiles, artwork, background material and more. It also includes a downloadable version of the entire first issue in several different formats. Go here, Free Issue #1, pick your format and enjoy.
Mostly Black - The homepage of Antony Johnston, the series writer and creator.
Christopher Mitten - The official homepage of Christopher Mitten, the series artist.
Templesmith.com Faze 2 - The official homepage of Ben Templesmith, the cover artist for the series.
Oni Press - Publisher of Wasteland and various other snazzy series that I like.
Enter Michael, a scavenger and wanderer who accidentally stumbles across something that might be the only clue to discovering the secret behind the apocalyptic event known as "The Big Wet" and it's connection to the mythical A-Ree-Yass-I.
Wasteland is the new post-apocalyptic monthly series from Oni Press. Created and written by Antony (Yuggoth Creatures, Queen and Country: Declassified vol 3) Johnston, with the talented Christopher (Q&C: Declassified vol 3) Mitten handling the art chores, and some lovely covers from Ben (30 Days of Night) Templesmith, this series looks to be the sleeper hit of the year and has been garnering praise from all corners of the comics industry. With the third issue hitting the shelves earlier today, and kicking off the first multi part story arc, I figured that now would be a good time to take a look at the first two issues of this fantastic series.
Possible Spoilers
The series starts off by introducing us to the main protagonist, Michael, as he stumbles across the remains of an encampment. Unfortunately for him two Sand Eaters, mutant cannibals of unknown origin, turn up and a fight ensues. After being wounded in the fight, and displaying some telekinetic abilities to boot, Michael grabs what he can and heads into a nearby town to engage in some trading. While there he meets Abi, the towns young sheriff type, and accidentally activates one of the items he scavenged from a corpse near the camp he found. The item, a small computer or palm pilot with an accompanying note attached, immediately it begins to spew forth an intelligible stream of words. Keen eyed Abi takes note of Michael's reaction and quickly pieces together a vague framework of his background. How? He recognized the language, as did she, and from this she figures that like her he has some sort of "gift" and no knowledge of his birth family.
She quickly pursues him and attempts to keep him around, but he takes off anyway only to succumb to his wounds a short while later. He awakens back in the town with Abi tending to his wounds via her healing "gift", and she subsequently puts her cards out onto the table. She knows he's got a "gift", that he recognized the language, and begins to read out the letter attached to the strange artifact. Sadly before she can finish it they're alerted to a large band of Sand Eaters approaching the town. Michael attempts to head off, but Abi gets him to stay and help in the towns defense by pointing out that he owes her.
The first issue is a hell of a way to start of the series. It opens and closes with two action scenes which bookend the story's hook. That being of course "What is the artifact and what does it have to do with the A-Ree-Yass-I and The Big Wet?" not to mention how it all ties into Abi and Michael's powers, if it does at all. The dialogue has a nice flow and feels natural, including bits and pieces of slang that developed over time, many of which allude to a greater culture. Instances of cursing the Sun and the Moon for example just hint at a religion and mythology that are expanded upon in the second issue. On top of that, Michael himself has a very distinct speech pattern which really helps to emphasize the isolated lifestyle that he's been living for so long. Short terse sentences which cut straight to the point, completely unlike this review, not to mention his signature laugh of "Hrr hrr hrr."
Christopher Mitten's art is fantastic and evocative as well. It manages to convey a large of amount of detail within the clothing and city, while at the same time maintaining a wonderfully open feel to it that helps hammer home the fact that the landscape is a barren and stark one. Empty backgrounds outside, which at first might seem almost cheap, serve to reinforce the fact that just about all animal and plant life has been wiped out, that even the clouds have apparently vanished from the earth. In short, it's the perfect art to help evoke the feeling and mood of being in a barren and hostile desert wasteland.
The second issue picks up immediately after the Sand Eaters attack as Abi attempts to move the survivors of the town to one of the few large cities around, that of Newbegin. Unfortunately for her Michael has decided that his debt is paid, and that he doesn't like Jakob one of Abi's friends, and heads off on his own. As the group of survivors make their way towards Newbegin we're treated to the Sunners origin story.
The Sunners are a religious group that's sprung up in the wake of The Big Wet and who worship the Sun and the Moon as a Goddess and God. It's an interesting story that not only gives us a look at the mythology of the world, but a possible glimpse as to the reality of The Big Wet. Falling stars, years of darkness, flooded cities, children of the Sun and Moon, all of it hints and offers possible explanations for the world. Could Abi and Michael be Children of the Moon? Are the falling stars nuclear weaponry? Or could it all be something else..?
Unfortunately for the group they face another attack in the middle of the night, this time from a pack of "wulfs".
While all this is going on we also get our first look at Newbegin and the human civilization that has sprung up. The city's blind leader awakens after a nightmare involving both Abi and Michael and the readers are quickly thrust into a political/religious feud that's brewing within Newbegin. The rulers of the city maintain a large class of slaves, who are all Sunners, while the ruling class seem to worship their deified blind leader known as The Lord Founder. Recently some desecration of The Lord Founders statues have occurred and all evidence points to a Sunner as the culprit. Heads must roll.. literally.
The second issue was a bit of a swerve, but a welcome one. The almost complete absence of Michael gives Johnston room to expand and explain the world a bit, while also setting up some rather major conflicts to come. With the religious tension building in Newbegin between the Sunners and, I don't know.. founders? How will the Founders react to the sudden arrival of nearly 70 refugees, all of whom are Sunners? Not to mention what will happen when the Lord Founder finally encounters the two people who haunt his nightmares. Also, it's nice to know that even after a world ending event, religious intolerance is still a problem. The more things change..
Mitten's art really shines here as he shifts into a different style for the Sunners creation tale, rendering such things as falling stars and ancient cities in a way that suggests cave paintings or something similar. He also does a fantastic job with the splash page that gives us our first glimpse of a post-Big Wet city. Nice stuff all around.
In addition to the main comic story, which is uninterrupted with the ads in the back by the way, each issue also includes a text piece entitled Walking the Dust: Stories from the New Earth, a fictional travelogue from an inhabitant of this world by the name of Ankya Ofsteen. Each piece helps to further flesh out the world of Wasteland and expands upon certain topics or cultural groups or ideas that appear in the issue. It's a nice way to further push along the story and also provide background material for the series, helping to give us a better grasp on the strange world that we've been dropped into.
In it's short time in print the series has been flying off the shelves and the positive word of mouth on the series seems be growing and growing each month. Johnston and Mitten are no slouches and clearly work amazingly well together but I don't think anyone really expected the series to take off quite as well as it has. The fact is though, that it deserves the praise and the sales because it's a damn good read and is easily my favorite new title of 2006. It's a weird, quirky and beautiful series that's worth the extra effort it might take to track it down.
Don't take my word for it though, read the first issue for yourself because it's up for free at the official web site. That's right, 44 pages for free. Go check it out in the links below.
In fact, that's not the only thing for free regarding the book. One of the really amazing things is how well Johnston and Oni have managed to use the web site to help promote it. Before the first issue hit the stands they had the first 22 pages of #1 online for free download in several formats. In addition to this the web site is loaded with character profiles, covers, sketches, AIM/LJ/message board icons, wallpapers, banners and even an MP3 theme song composed by Johnston himself. They've just recently added on a fan section which currently contains two pieces of fan art and.. an MP3 of a song inspired by the comic that a fan created. How's that for nifty?
Anywho, check all that out and more at the official site linked below.
Relevent links:
The Big Wet - The official Wasteland homepage contains, MP3's, character profiles, artwork, background material and more. It also includes a downloadable version of the entire first issue in several different formats. Go here, Free Issue #1, pick your format and enjoy.
Mostly Black - The homepage of Antony Johnston, the series writer and creator.
Christopher Mitten - The official homepage of Christopher Mitten, the series artist.
Templesmith.com Faze 2 - The official homepage of Ben Templesmith, the cover artist for the series.
Oni Press - Publisher of Wasteland and various other snazzy series that I like.
