I just read the first issue of Brian Wood’s (DMZ, Northlanders, DEMO) new series The Massive, and I’m blown away. It’s a post-apocalyptic survival tale centered around a crew of former ocean-going conservationists now trying to keep their ship the Kapital running and their bodies and souls together in the midst of wide-scale economic and social collapse. With no ports to turn to and little else in the way of options, the captain of the ship, an enigmatic former mercenary named Callum Israel, has directed the crew to locate and make contact with The Massive, a sister ship lost somewhere at sea.
Wood depicts a frighteningly plausible setting. Ice shelves have completely collapsed and many coastal cities are now underwater, the seas are nearly depleted of fish and desperate, angry people are turning to piracy to get by. The crew of the Kapital is finding out that they can no longer afford the luxury of pacifism in this ruined world, and if they want to survive, they’re going to have to make some difficult decisions.
The compelling story is accompanied by some amazing art. Kristian Donaldson’s sharp, almost architectural drawing style is complemented with Dave Stewart’s well-chosen color palate of rust and ocean greens and blues. It’s a great looking comic, and a fantastic start to what could be the biggest event in non-superhero comics this year.
Want to know more about The Massive and Wood? Read my interview with him here.
