Advance Review: THE MASSIVE #1

THE MASSIVE #1
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Kristian Donaldson
Release Date: June 13, 2012

What an appropriate title. The Massive #1 is simply one of the best comics I have read in 2012 and sure to be one of the most talked about comics of the year. Brian Wood is crafting what already feels like a masterpiece with this first issue, slowly informing readers about the events of the past several years that have shaped the Earth into a bleak world where humans are struggling to survive. Wood has absolutely amazing pacing in this first issue, giving readers just enough information to tantalize and piece together what the hell has happened, but leaving out key pieces so that you have no choice but to keep reading. From the first page to the last, this book bleeds tension and suspense. I’m not even sure why it is so tense, but it is, and my mind was on high alert from start to finish. The script is extremely engaging, it sucked me in immediately and would not let me out of this world where extreme weather and natural disasters are a frequent occurrence. Wood is pulling no punches in this book: nature is a force we cannot control, and the subtle undertone that humanity may have had a hand in what is happening is brilliant. Wood’s storytelling is at its absolute finest in this comic. The dialogue (or at times, lack thereof) is fantastic and his narrative choices to piece the story together are superb. The journal entries at the end of the issue are so well written, they are not just ‘tag-along’ material like so often happens in comics – they are essential reading and just make the experience of this comic that much more fulfilling.

The perfect art to compliment this story is delivered by the hand of Kristian Donaldson. Donaldson absolutely nails the tone of this book and this world with his crisp art and fantastic landscapes. It is not often that a silent panel of a still sea can stop my eye dead in its tracks, but it did in this book. The art is absolutely flawless and the composition of the panels keeps this book visually interesting and also very comfortable to read. There isn’t a single page where the flow of the story is awkward, which is key in a book this engrossing. The flow is never broken and Donaldson’s art elevates Wood’s fantastic script to a whole new level of awesome.

The Massive #1 is one of the best comic books to be released in a very long time. I have a feeling this is a series that is going to generate a lot of waves and I can’t wait to read more.

Verdict: 10/10

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