Review – The Spire #8 (of 8) (BOOM! Studios)

June 14, 2016

3–5 minutes

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Jeff Stokely
Release Date: 15th June 2016

The Spire is something that I’d probably hate in concept. Looking at designs alone would make me think that it were something that someone came up with when they were 8-years old and never updated it, something like Weavers. But after reading that second issue, I was totally hooked. I couldn’t have been more wrong on my assumptions, The Spire is the book you get when you have someone with this profound imagination but knows how to set style aside to tell a genuinely compelling story. It’s kept me hooked so far and now I’m (sadly) here to talk about the final issue of this 8-part series. Does it end on a high note? Let’s dive into issue #8 of The Spire.

This conclusion to the Spire series has our cast of characters at a tense point where everyone’s secrets seem to be coming to light. As everyone begins to explain the mysteries that have been afoot, things seem to take a darker turn each minute. This may not be the confrontation that Captain Shae had been hoping for, as she finds out who she was before the loss of her memory.

As someone whose loved this comic so much, this issue is exactly the finale I’ve been waiting for. First off, we have that wonderful signature dialogue from writer/co-creator Simon Spurrier. His dialogue is so snappy and fun to read, forcing your eyes to jump from word bubble to word bubble without a break. I fly through all of these issues because that dialogue is so fast and snappy, this issue is no exception. The whole series has had a Detective Noir storytelling aesthetic amidst all of the fantasy elements, which it has juggled spectacularly. In this issue, Spurrier gives us a finale that holds true to that Detective Noir style, but in a fresh way that gives you twist after twist of awesomeness.

Those twists alone make this book, and the whole series, worthwhile. Spurrier is able to create these twists that truly shock you, but they’re not twists that are shocking JUST for the sake of being shocking. They are twists that weave naturally into the story and bring everything full circle in very intelligent, interesting ways. I think my jaw hit the floor at least three times over the course of reading this book.

If you’ve been reading this book from the start, you already know that the team up of illustrator/co-creator Jeff Stokley and colorist Andre May have given us some of the most original, interesting designs that I’ve seen in a book in a very long time. All of the character designs are inspired and fun to behold, accentuated perfectly by the gorgeous coloring that May provides. He gives this book such a unique flavor, creating these bright, colorful images that mesh so well with the fun tone of the book, but don’t feel out of place when things take a dark turn.

It’s safe to say that I love this series and I love this finale in particular. Since the beginning of this story I’ve been hooked and couldn’t wait to see where the mysteries and characters went, with this issue giving me more than I could have ever asked for. There’s a reason that The Spire was nominated for a 2016 Eisner Award, because Spurrier and Stokely have achieved something so special and unique that many others have attempted before and failed at. I’d love to own this series in one large, hard covered book. If you haven’t started this series yet, do so IMMEDIATELY. Lucky for you that you don’t have to wait a month for issues, you can sit down and read through the whole story in an afternoon. I can’t praise this book enough, from the artwork to the storytelling to the characters who I genuinely give a shit about. There was a character that died in this and my heart sank, which very few books can achieve for me. I also loved that the ending (which I won’t spoil) was something that made sense for the characters and didn’t feel like a forced, happy-go-lucky ribbon wrap-up. For fans of this series, this is the finale you’ve been waiting for and then some.

Rating: 5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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