Review: THE MASSIVE #11

THE MASSIVE #11
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Declan Shalvey
Release Date: April 24, 2013

The Massive 11-1Megalodon.

I’m not sure I even need to say any more than that single word: Megalodon.

The Massive #11 continues to tell the tale of the aftermath of the destruction of the world as we know it, and Brian Wood does a phenomenal job of telling a good chunk of story in this issue by focusing on the ecosystem of sharks. In one sense this information feels like it is distracting us from the task at hand of finding The Massive, but I found myself absolutely fascinated by Wood’s description of how the patterns of the shark ecosystem have changed. His script is ominous and foreboding from start to finish, with tension building as the reader waits for that “Jaws” moment to spring out. These are some of the fiercest predators on the planet being discussed, we know this issue isn’t going to end without something going down! Even after the final page, I found my heart was still racing from the tension of the issue, which builds slowly as it progresses, culminating in the reveal of a force that is awe inspiring. Wood is doing an amazing job in The Massive of examining aspects of the planet that people do not think of on a daily basis, let alone during an apocalypse-style scenario, and just how they would flourish and/or adapt. It is as though he is a poet passing down the tale of the end of the world to future generations, each issue like a verse in a stanza recounting the downfall of the world. These verses are all building toward an epic conclusion when they will be finally assembled, and more so than any other issue in the series, issue #11 left me filled with a sense of dread for what is coming. I have a feeling this was not just a one-shot appearance for the mighty creature in issue #11, but rather a a grand announcement that a new player is on the scene: a world changing force of nature that is not to be trifled with. If I have read this situation wrong, it is a brilliant passing through for this titan of the sea, with Wood building the story of this post-crash world in a very interesting way by focusing on this ecosystem.

Declan Shalvey’s pencils bring this issue to life, giving the sharks an energy and raw hunger that is palpable on the page. This issue is brimming with ferocity and much of the tension that is felt in the issue is from Shalvey’s capable hands. He has some epic splash pages in this issue, including the reveal of the titan I mentioned earlier, which are crafted with precision a great eye for detail. The flow of the issue is definitely controlled to put emphasis on some major moments and Shalvey delivers from start to finish. His pencils for the Ninth Wave crew skillfully show a haggard team that is losing their way: broken by their experiences and getting very tired. I know this was a single-issue-gig, but based on the chemistry between Wood and Shalvey I would definitely cheer if I saw Shalvey’s name in any future solicits.

Issue #11 of The Massive once again focuses on the macro-scale of the world post-crash, and I loved every minute of it. This series only gets better with each issue and #11 is a great example of how good it can be when Wood is in sync with his art team and they are firing on all cylinders.

Verdict: 9.5/10

Authors

Related posts

Top