THE GHOST FLEET #3
Written by Don Cates
Art by Daniel Warren Johnson, Lauren Affe
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 7, 2015

The Ghost Fleet is under attack and a pissed off senator is the warpath as the mayhem kicks up a notch in The Ghost Fleet #3.

Don Cates has got a wild story running here in The Ghost Fleet, and he doesn’t pull his foot off the pedal at all with issue #3. This is a comic with the same raw intensity as Black Science, and I certainly mean it in a good way. Cates paces the story well, adding a ton of drama by dropping information when he does, and the Senator’s aggression causes a ton of tension and makes every page he appears on very dynamic. All of these characters are on the edge of exploding, and Cates shows that very well.

Cates’ dialogue for Trace is especially strong, giving readers a real badass rogue they can root for. He’s a live wire of a character and Cates writes him well, making him a scene stealer to say the least. This is a high octane, dynamic story and Cates has got the right character to anchor it with Trace.

Daniel Warren Johnson sets quite a ton for this issue with his wild artwork. His style is perfectly suited to this high energy story and when he cuts loose there is so much energy in his pencils that they leap from the page. Trace is dynamic by Johnson’s hand, his emotion obvious at all times and the kinetic energy associated with the character is great. The colour work by Lauren Affe is great, her work providing a richness to the artwork that enhances it in every way.

The Ghost Fleet #3 is an explosive chapter to what is quickly becoming a wild series. There is an intensity in this comic that is damn near palpable. Cates & Johnson are shifting this thriller into the next gear and it’s definitely worth a look.

The Verdict: 8.5/10