Review – The Wake #6 (of 10) (Vertigo)

Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Release Date: 26th February 2014

Let’s get this out the way first: The Wake #6 won’t answer any of your questions. But that’s okay.

The idea here is that the story has jumped forward by 200 years, showing us how the world has changed after the events of the first arc, so it’s almost like a completely new story, with new characters, and 200 years of history to catch up on. It’s a brave move from Scott Snyder, but he has a knack with long-form storytelling, and although the change may be a little jarring, the overall idea of this series is still plenty enough to keep readers interested.

What strikes you most about The Wake #6, is the complete change of scale to the story. While the first arc was claustrophobic and limited in its setting, this futuristic story takes in different locales, and we see just how much of a global impact the events of issue #5 actually had. Along with that, the cast expands, so as we are properly introduced to Leeward, the survivor from various ‘flash-forwards’ in previous issues, Snyder also brings in a new supporting cast, including a new government and military.

By the end of the book, it begins to tie in with the first arc in a way you don’t expect, but with so many questions are still unanswered. That for me, though, is the brilliance of The Wake. The story Snyder is telling spans billions of years, with the ‘mers’ being the connection, and I can’t wait to see how everything ties together.

Sean Murphy’s artwork continues to amaze me, especially as I was not overly fond of his style before reading The Wake, but certainly Matt Hollingsworth’s colours add a lot to the title. There is a ‘warm haze’ to these pages that is a stark contrast to the dark, shadowy setting of the first five issues, which further adds to the complete change in tone of the book.

The Wake #1 may feel like too much of a change for some. It’s a sudden change of pace, and the shift from Sci-Fi Horror to what appears to be just straight up Sci-Fi feels a little odd, otherwise this would have been a 5/5 review, but knowing that it’s deliberate, and all part of Scott Snyder’s master plan should give you confidence that things are going to get better. Vertigo titles are really where Snyder does his best work, and The Wake is no different.