Review – Orphans of the Impact Winter #2

Writer: Lee A. Carlisle
Artist: Ross Carlisle
Colours: Marina Goncalves
Lettering: Marco Ventura
Release Date: 22nd May 2024 (ComiXology Link)

After a strong opening issue that we called “a surprisingly layered look at the way we process trauma and how it’s sometimes easier to retreat into fantasy rather than face up to painful reality”, the second chapter of Orphans of the Impact Winter hits ComiXology today. For those new to the series, it tells the story of 10-year-old Chuck and his faithful dog Addie as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where the moon is literally falling from the sky. It also utilises a neat narrative process where the reader flits back and forth between the harsh reality of the world and Chuck’s fantasy version of it where he and Addie are heroic space explorers.

The first issue did such a great job of executing the premise that it would have actually worked really well as a one-shot, but thankfully the Carlisle brothers have opted to expand it into a ten-part series. And, if this latest issue is anything to go by, it’s clear that this series is fixing to go into some interesting new directions moving forwards. Somewhat fittingly, the bulk of this issue takes place in the real world as Chuck and Addie encounter some violent scavengers before discovering a group of kids, one of whom seems to be dealing with the challenges of the apocalypse in a similar way to Chuck.

The narrative remains tight, but once again it’s Ross Carlisle and Marina Goncalves’ artwork that really helps this story work as well as it does. The execution as they continually switch from a washed-out realistic looking aesthetic to a brightly coloured and stylized style remains flawless, and the emotion packed into Chuck’s face during the “real world” scenes is difficult not to be drawn into. This kid is suffering, and clearly doing whatever he can to get through each day at a time.

My only real criticism about this latest issue is the abrupt nature of its ending, which happens so suddenly it actually had me double-checking in case a page or two had been left out completely. For me, one of the main requirements for episodic storytelling is to keep the reader hooked to ensure they come back for the next installment, and while the overall story definitely does that, I’d have liked a little more sizzle in my final page.

This niggle aside, Orphans of the Impact Winter continues to impress with a confidently executed take on the “retreating into a fantasy world to escape trauma” trope. The story is definitely picking up, and I’m genuinely fascinated to see where the creative team takes our two plucky survivors next. Coming across like Calvin and Hobbes meets Fallout, this is an independently published comic that comes highly recommended.

The first five issues of Orphans of the Impact Winter will be released digitally every month from April to August 2024, with a softcover release of the first five-part volume being made available to purchase on the OrphansofTheImpactWinter.com in Q4 of 2024.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says
You can follow Ceej on Twitter