Review – Black Science #8 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer(s): Rick Remender
Artist(s): Matteo Scalera
Release Date: 27th August 2014

After the absolutely cracking opening issue of this new arc, and given how it ended, this one has a fair amount riding on it, with a lot to clean up, and who knows where to progress to.

Scalera and White’s combined artwork remain the absolute star of the show. ‘Magnificent’ is the only actual word I can come up with that properly fits – ‘amazomatic’ and ‘gauchetastic’, the made-up ones. In particular, it’s their penchant for capturing the weird and wonderful creatures and scenery that Remender’s world-hopping story demands, and this issue is no exception, with us introduced to weird bug-things in a flashback, and strange, Neaderthalic apes towards the denouement.

In terms of story, it’s still a fairly bleak set of circumstances that we find our remaining characters in – Kadir’s lost the kids, and given that he’s the group’s self-confessed resident arsehole, he see’s fit to set about rectifying that, laying himself at the group’s mercy, confessing his crimes, and hoping for forgiveness. It’s an interesting piece of character development, showing that he isn’t quite the sleazy dirtbag he’s been made out to be thus far – though whether or not the rest of the group believe it is yet to be seen.

There’s also some insight into the inner workings of three other characters, though to say which is something of a spoiler – suffice to say, it’s fascinating stuff, and they prove themselves more than capable after a streak of the relative, understandable opposite.

This is still one of Image’s best monthly titles. Seriously, we’ve said it before, and I’ll reiterate it again – if you dig imaginative sci-fi, this is a series you that should have a high priority on your pull list. A wonderfully inventive story that puts a neat twist on the usual dimension hopping malarkey, terrific dialogue as always from Remender, and astonishingly good artwork to round it all off, there are few better comics out there right now.

Rating: 5/5

PREVIEW ARTWORK.

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